Gatti snatches Juve late draw against Sevilla in Europa League semi

Juventus’ Italian defender Federico Gatti celebrates after scoring an equalizer during the UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg football match between Juventus and Sevilla on May 11, 2023 at the Juventus stadium in Turin. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP)

Federico Gatti headed home in the 97th minute to earn Juventus a 1-1 draw against Sevilla in their Europa League semi-final first leg on Thursday.

Youssef En-Nesyri gave the record six-time champions the lead in the first half and they seemed set to take that advantage back to Seville before Gatti’s late intervention.

Moroccan international En-Nesyri finished a sharp counter-attack in the 26th minute to break the deadlock in Turin.

Jose Luis Mendilibar’s side deserved their lead at the break and although Juventus improved, the Andalucians shut them out well in their bid to take their advantage back to the rowdy Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan next week.

However Gatti nodded home from point blank range after substitute Paul Pogba headed the ball back into his path from a corner.

“It’s a shame, given the game that we played, that they levelled in the last play of the match, but it is what it is,” said Mendilibar.

“We stopped Juventus in every moment and we played well at times too, we have to think about that, not the last moment of the game.”

Sevilla, who dumped Manchester United out in the quarter-finals, have never been knocked out of the tournament in the semi-final stage.

The Spaniards, who won the Europa League at the Juventus Stadium in 2014, made themselves at home in the first half.

The hosts should have taken the lead when Dusan Vlahovic fired over, perhaps put off by Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou’s dive at his feet.

After that Mendilibar’s side started to impose themselves,