Vlahovic nets 32 seconds into Champions League debut, but Juve restricted
Key takeaways:
- Dusan Vlahovic shattered Andreas Moller's history of 38 seconds for the fastest debut goal in the Champions League.
- Dusan Vlahovic netted the swiftest Champions League debut goal ever, but Juventus were pegged back to tie at Villarreal in the final 16 first leg.
Juve held by Villareal as the match ties in the last 16 of the Champions League:
The previous month, the 22-year-old Serb, a £58m signing from Fiorentina, drove onto Danilo's long ball before a swivel and brilliant finish after 32 seconds.
Villarreal's Giovani lo Celso scored a shot off the outside of the post.
The equalizer came when Dani Parejo ghosted to finish Etienne Capoue's aerial ball into the penalty area.
Juve was lucky to end with 11 men as Adrien Rabiot was just booked for a risky foul on Samuel Chukwueze.
"It was massive to score on my debut," expressed Vlahovic, whose only other European venture was as a 16-year-old for Partizan Belgrade in Europa League qualifying. "It was very touching."
"However, I cannot be 100% happy because we have not won the match. I have already forgotten this match, and I'm concentrating on the next."
With the away goal rule discarded this year, the draw is level going into the second leg in Turin in three weeks.
Since November, Massimiliano Allegri's Juve has been unbeaten in 90 minutes, but they were driven to pay for their negativity at Estadio de la Ceramica.
After netting that first-minute goal, they drove to a back five and switched off as Parejo was unmarked to blaze in an equalizer.
A Vlahovic attempt from outside the box in the 85th minute was their only other try on target.
They lost midfielder Weston McKennie to an ankle hurt in the second half to make issues worse.