Nick Woltemade's second-half penalty rescued a 2-2 draw for Juventus against Rennes in Turin, but the Bianconeri thought they had won it at the death — only for Jhon Lucumí's 88th-minute goal to be ruled out after a long VAR check. Zeki Çelik and Woltemade scored for Juve, with Mousa Al-Tamari and Boulaye Dia replying for an impressive Rennes.
Çelik strikes first, Rennes hit back twice
Juventus arrived top of the Europa League table with a perfect record, and after five minutes they looked set to extend it. Woltemade turned provider, setting up Çelik to fire Luciano Spalletti's side in front at the Allianz Stadium. But Rennes, unbeaten themselves, refused to follow the script: Bryan Reynolds crossed and Al-Tamari levelled on 15 minutes, as theScore's match timeline recorded.
Federico Gatti went into the book on 19 minutes as Juve lost their early control, and two minutes before half-time Rennes completed the turnaround. Dia struck for 2-1, silencing Turin and leaving the hosts — beaten 3-0 at home by Lazio on Sunday, a match Beyond The Final Whistle covered in full — staring at a second home defeat in five days.
Woltemade's penalty, then VAR denies Lucumí
Spalletti reshaped at the break, Pierre Kalulu replacing goalscorer Çelik, and on the hour Nico González came on for Gatti as Juve went to a back four and pushed. The pressure told on 65 minutes: Douglas Luiz floated a free kick in, González headed down, and the ball struck Reynolds on the hand. Woltemade kept his cool while Brice Samba tried every delaying trick, firing the penalty straight down the middle for 2-2, as Football Italia's liveblog described.
Juve poured forward — Teun Koopmeiners' scorcher was straight at Samba, Woltemade headed wide twice — and on 88 minutes they thought they had won it. A free kick pinballed around the box and Lucumí drilled in from 12 yards via a deflection. Then came the long VAR check: Koopmeiners' flick had come off a boot with Lucumí a foot offside, and the goal was disallowed. Seven minutes of added time produced no winner, and Rennes — who introduced Eliezer Mayenda late on — settled gladly for the point. There were no red cards.
So what: perfect records end, both stay unbeaten
Juventus move to seven points from three matches — the 5-0 rout of NEC, the comeback 2-1 win at Celta Vigo and now this draw — and stay in the top-eight places, though their perfect start is over. A trip to AZ Alkmaar on Matchday 4 comes after Sunday's Serie A visit to Lecce, and Spalletti will demand a defensive tightening: his side has now conceded three at home to Lazio and two to Rennes in a week.
Rennes reach five points and remain unbeaten, with the goalless draw at Sturm Graz and the comeback win over OFI Crete now joined by a result that proves Franck Haise's 5-3-2 can frustrate the best in this competition. They host Olympiacos on Matchday 4 knowing a win would put a top-eight finish within reach.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Juventus will rage at the offside call, but the honest verdict is that Rennes earned this. Juve needed a penalty and a disallowed-goal scare to escape with a point at home against a side that led for half the game — that is not the form of Europa League favourites, and it follows the Lazio humiliation with uncomfortable questions for Spalletti. Woltemade, with a goal and an assist, was the one home player who rose to the occasion. Did VAR get the Lucumí call right, or were Juventus robbed? Let us know in the comments.
