Bianconeri strike late to preserve flawless Europa League start

Juventus completed a remarkable comeback to beat Celta Vigo 2-1 on Spanish soil on Wednesday, with Nick Woltemade and Randal Kolo Muani on target to keep the Bianconeri's perfect Europa League record intact. Thiago Motta's side had been top of the Europa League table after a 5-0 hammering of NEC, but their domestic form had been disappointing, following that European high with a 1-1 draw at Cagliari.

The visitors travelled to Vigo still in the grip of an injury crisis, with Kenan Yildiz, Jeremie Boga, Khephren Thuram, Manuel Locatelli, Jeff Ekhator, Kamil Grabara and Arek Milik all out of action. Celta, meanwhile, were missing Borja Iglesias, Pablo Duran, Jones El-Abdellaoui, Carl Starfelt and Miguel Roman as they looked to bounce back from a defeat to Omonia Nicosia in their opening fixture.

Celta draw first blood through Alvarez

The hosts made the brighter start, an early Williot Swedberg header flying straight at Guglielmo Vicario, before Celta broke the deadlock with a well-worked team goal. The move swept from right to left and was finished off by Swedberg laying the ball off for Hugo Alvarez to tap in at the back post after 18 minutes.

Juventus responded and began to carve out chances of their own. A Teun Koopmeiners header was kept out by the Celta goalkeeper, and the Dutchman then failed to control a Pierre Kalulu pull-back from 10 yards. Koopmeiners also accidentally blocked a Kerim Alajbegovic strike, before Woltemade blasted over after letting a long ball bounce inside the box.

Woltemade levels before Kolo Muani strikes in added time

Woltemade saw his effort charged down at the near post straight after the restart, with the Celta keeper then flying to push a Francisco Conceicao strike over the bar. From the resulting corner, the Portugal international fired another attempt straight at him.

Juventus finally found their equaliser just before the hour mark. A Koopmeiners cross from the left was clumsily chested down by Marcos Alonso, turning into the ideal assist for Woltemade to sweep home from 12 yards in the 58th minute.

Celta threatened on the counter-attack thereafter. Rueda could only find the side-netting from a slide-rule pass, before Kalulu got back to block a goal-bound effort. Pape Malang Sarr failed to make the most of another poor Marcos Alonso clearance, while Nico Gonzalez came close when he twisted and turned in the box to commit defenders, only to bend a left-footed finish inches wide.

Juventus turned the game around in added time, however. Andrea Cambiaso whipped in a cross from the left and Kolo Muani got between the defenders to nod in at the back post from point-blank range, sparking wild celebrations in the 91st minute.

The result leaves Juventus with a 100 per cent record in the Europa League heading into the rest of the league phase, easing some of the pressure created by their stuttering Serie A campaign.

A tie with echoes of 2000

The last time these two sides met, the fixture produced one of the more extraordinary results in the clubs' shared history: a 4-0 Celta Vigo home victory in March 2000 in the UEFA Cup Round of 16, overturning a 1-0 first-leg defeat, with both Antonio Conte and Paolo Montero sent off inside the first half. Juventus' response in Vigo this time was rather more convincing.

Match facts

Celta Vigo 1-2 Juventus

• 18' — Hugo Alvarez (Celta Vigo), assist Williot Swedberg
• 58' — Nick Woltemade (Juventus)
• 90+2' (91') — Randal Kolo Muani (Juventus), assist Andrea Cambiaso

Bookings and substitutions in the Celta ranks included Lloyd Kelly, Jhon Lucumí and Ilaix Moriba, with the Celta bench shuffling its pack as the game wore on.