Juventus U20s begin UEFA Youth League with Dortmund defeat | OneFootball

The Juventus Under-20s had a mixed debut in the UEFA Youth League against Borussia Dortmund. It was a first half to forget for the Bianconeri, who found themselves 3-0 down after 45 minutes at home, but that was followed by a proud second half in which Simone Padoin's boys showed their worth, narrowing the gap and coming close to equalising on several occasions.

The final whistle blew with the score at 3-2 in favour of the German side. Below is a recap of the match and comments from the Juventus Under-20 coach.

THE MATCH REPORT

The first half very much went the way of the away team, who managed to capitalise on the early chances they created. In the ninth minute, an excellent move forced Alessandro Bassino to score an own goal, while minutes later, Samuel Inacio made it 0-2 before the 15-minute mark.

In the 35th minute, the German team scored their third goal with Pharell Kegni, while the Bianconeri had only a couple of chances that fell to Destiny Elimoghale, who was unable to find the back of the net.

In the second half, however, everything changed, starting with the attitude of Juventus Under-20s, who showed enormous character and a desire not to give up. The hosts began to push forward and put Dortmund on the back foot, with Diego Pugno scoring his first goal of the season in the 52nd minute with a header from an excellent cross by Elimoghale. It was a goal that opened up a gap in the German defence, and Padoin's boys were able to take advantage.

In the 61st minute, after a persistent attack in which Julien Noah Froese, Borussia Dortmund's goalkeeper, made a couple of superb saves, Francesco Crapisto scored the goal that made it 3-2.

At that point, Juventus laid siege to the opposition's goal, trying everything they could, with Antonio Stefano Merola playing a starring role and coming close to scoring the equaliser on several occasions.

Our boys kept trying until the end, but unfortunately, the comeback could not be completed.

UYL | Gallery | Juventus U20 - Borussia Dortmund

SIMONE PADION'S COMMENTS

Coming soon.