Juventus Stuns Dortmund in Eight-Goal Champions League Thriller
TURIN, ITALY – Juventus Turin snatched a dramatic 4-4 draw against Borussia Dortmund in a Champions League Group Stage opener marked by relentless attack and late drama. The match, a replay of the 1997 final won by Dortmund, saw eight goals scored, with Juventus overcoming a 4-2 deficit in the final minutes to secure a point.
Despite leading 4-2 at the end of regulation time, Dortmund couldn’t hold on as Juventus mounted a stunning comeback. Kenan Yildiz sparked the revival with a goal in the 63rd minute and a crucial assist, while Dusan Vlahovic, returning from a near year-long stint on the bench, proved pivotal.
Vlahovic equalized at 2-2 in the 67th minute, launched by a pass from Yildiz, after Dortmund had taken the lead through goals from Karim Adeyemi (52nd) and Felix Nmecha (65th). Dortmund regained the advantage with goals from Yan Couto (74th) and a penalty converted by Ramy Bensebaïni (86th).
However, Juventus refused to yield. Vlahovic scored again in the 90th+4 minute, capitalizing on a defensive lapse, and then provided the assist for Lloyd Kelly to equalize in the 90th+6 minute, sending the Allianz Stadium into raptures.
“It was a crazy match, we never gave up,” said Khéphren Thuram. ”Our coach has a certain mentality, and this match has shown that his team has adopted this mentality.”
Juventus, currently co-leaders in the Italian championship with nine points from three games, remain undefeated. The Champions League continues Wednesday with PSG’s match against Atalanta.
