April 20, (THEWILL) – Juventus secured a spot in the UEFA Europa League semi-finals after holding Sporting CP to a 1-1 draw at Estadio Jose Alvalade and sealing a 2-1 aggregate victory.
Adrien Rabiot gave the Italian side the lead after only nine minutes, doubling their advantage in the tie after Federico Gatti’s goal in the reverse fixture. However, Sporting responded quickly with a penalty from Marcus Edwards after Rabiot fouled Manuel Ugarte.
Despite their efforts, the Portuguese side failed to find the crucial second goal that would have forced the game into extra-time. This victory marks Juve’s first European semi-final appearance since the 2016/2017 campaign, and they will face Sevilla for a place in the final, after the Spanish side knocked out Manchester United out in the other quarter-final.
Juve’s triumph was even sweeter after receiving news that their 15-point deduction in Serie A for financial breaches had been suspended. The club will be eager to carry their momentum into their upcoming fixture against Napoli in Serie A while in Liga Portugal Vitoria De Guimaraes will be Sporting’s next opponents.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
