Juventus Faces Tough Challenge After Europa League Semi-Final First Leg Defeat
Juventus suffered a 2-1 loss to Benfica in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final at the Estádio da Luz, setting up a tense return leg at Juventus Stadium next week. The match saw an early setback for Juve as Ezequiel Garay gave Benfica the lead in the 3rd minute. Juventus fought back in the second half with a goal from Carlos Tevez in the 73rd minute, but a late strike from Lima in the 84th minute put Benfica ahead once again, leaving everything to play for in the second leg.
Paul Pogba, speaking after the match, acknowledged Juventus’ performance while stressing areas for improvement. “We played a good match, we scored at the right time but we cracked at the end. We played the match we needed to. We could have scored another goal at the end but we’re still happy with the result,” Pogba told BeIn Sports, as relayed by lequipe.fr.
He also pointed out the need for greater focus in the return leg. “In the return leg, we’ll have to be more focused and more balanced. More focused because we conceded a goal quite early tonight. Concentration was lacking at the start of the match. I think we have what it takes to go through.”
Despite the one-goal deficit, Juventus will take heart from their strong home form this season, having remained unbeaten at home in all competitions. The second leg next week promises to be a thrilling contest as Juventus looks to overturn the result and secure a spot in the final.
