It was another defeat for the Juventus Under-20s, who lost 1-0 to Villarreal in their first away game of the UEFA Youth League campaign, beaten by a Manuel Juan Portela free kick in the second half.

Below is the match report and the words of the Bianconeri coach after the game.

THE MATCH REPORT

It was a hard-fought and evenly matched first half in Spain for Juventus Under-20s, playing their first away game of the UEFA Youth League campaign. The Bianconeri defence managed to withstand Villarreal's early pressure, finding their first chance to hurt their opponents in the 23rd minute. Antonio Stefano Merola's fine right-footed shot was saved by the opposition goalkeeper, and Ivan Lopez pounced on the rebound but failed to find the net from a few yards out (he was then ruled offside).

Before the break, Juventus had a couple more chances, first with Lopez in the 35th minute, who touched Merola's fine cross at the near post but failed to hit the target, and then in the 38th minute with Alessandro Bassino, whose shot was saved by the Villarreal goalkeeper. Simone Padoin's boys showed they were holding their own, and so the teams went into the break with the score at 0-0.

In the second half, the Spanish side continued to press, while in the 50th minute, Merola, one of the most active players in the Bianconeri Under-20s attack, tried his luck once again.

Pepe Reina's Villarreal increased the intensity in the second half, with manager Padoin bringing on fresh players and energy to try and break the deadlock. It felt as though something special was needed to change the momentum of the game, and with fifteen minutes to go, it was a superb free kick that gave the home side the lead.

In the 78th minute, Portela found the back of the net with a curling free kick that nestled in the top corner at the near post, partly due to an unfortunate deflection off the wall that made the shot unstoppable.

The Bianconeri tried to get back into the game in the final minutes, but couldn't find a way to score, with Arman Durmisi seeing his shot from an excellent position saved just before the final whistle. In the end, it was 1-0 to Villarreal, the second defeat in the UEFA Youth League for the Under-20s.

SIMONE PADOIN'S COMMENTS

“We are disappointed with the result. We started well and, as the minutes passed, we understood better and better what kind of match it was. We had an excellent first half, but in the second half we were less precise technically and our mistakes created opportunities for them. We held up well, but unfortunately we conceded a goal from a free kick that deflected off the wall, making it difficult for our goalkeeper to save. It's a shame not to get any points, we also had two important chances to equalise in the final minutes but we didn't manage it. However, the lads put in a good performance, now we're focusing on the league and finishing well before the break.”