A stunning free-kick from Manu Portela gives the Yellows their first win in the competitoin
After falling to defeat away to Tottenham Hotspur, Villarreal’s U19s bounced back in style with a superb victory over Juventus thanks to a second-half free-kick from Manu Portela.
The first half saw possession shared between both teams, though with few clear chances. In the opening stages, it was the Groguets who pushed forward the most. In the sixth minute, José Ángel Gaitán delivered a fine cross that Iker Abad could not quite connect with, and in the 16th minute Mauro Roca broke down the left flank before being stopped by the Italian defence.
Towards the end of the first half, Juventus carved out two half-chances. Antonio Merola tried his luck with a low shot in the 23rd minute and Alessandro Bassino followed up with another effort in the 38th minute, but both were dealt with comfortably by Pau Polo. The first 45 minutes ended goalless.
After the restart, Villarreal came out with greater intensity. Just moments into the second half, Daniel Reyes went close with the best chance of the game so far in a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but he was denied. Unai Rodríguez (63’) and Alejandro Palomares (69’) also had efforts that failed to find the net.
The breakthrough finally came in the 78th minute when Manu Portela struck a superb free-kick that lifted the Mini Estadi and sealed a 1-0 win.
