Juventus settled for a 2-2 draw against Rennes in UEFA Europa League play, a result that failed to fully erase the sting of a recent domestic defeat to Lazio while highlighting both offensive flashes and defensive vulnerabilities under manager Luciano Spalletti, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Early Breakthroughs and Defensive Lapses in Turin

The fixture at the stadium in Turin began brightly for the hosts. Just five minutes into the contest, Turkish wing-back Celik collected a precise through ball from Nick Woltemade and slotted past the goalkeeper to break the deadlock. The advantage proved short-lived. In the 15th minute, Rennes drew level when Al-Tamari beat goalkeeper Vicario from close range following a headed assist by Reynolds, punishing a lapse in the Juventus backline.

Sportmediaset noted that the hosts missed two clear chances to restore their lead before the interval, as Rennes goalkeeper Samba denied Federico Gatti and Weston McKennie—the latter hitting the post on a rebound while play was already stopped. Just before halftime in the 41st minute, Douglas Luiz blocked an opposition long-range shot with his hand inside the area. The referee awarded a penalty, which former Lazio forward Boulaye Dia converted by sending Vicario the wrong way to give the French visitors a 2-1 halftime lead.

Woltemade Equals European Scoring Record for Juventus

Despite the team’s defensive struggles, Woltemade emerged as the central figure of the night for Juventus. Tasked with rescuing a result, the forward converted a crucial second-half penalty kick to salvage a 2-2 draw. In doing so, Woltemade equaled a European record previously set by Roberto Baggio and Darko Kovacevic, stamping his name into the continental scoring history of the bianconeri.

Ratings across Italian sports dailies reflected a divided team performance. While La Stampa and la Repubblica praised Woltemade for driving the attack and earning the decisive penalty, Gatti absorbed heavy criticism for defensive mistakes, ranking among the lowest-rated players on the pitch alongside Kolo Muani.

Antonio Stefano Merola Earns First Senior Call-Up

Amid the European fixture, Spalletti injected youthful depth into the matchday squad by calling up forward Antonio Stefano Merola for the first time. The Turin-born attacker, whose family has roots in Campania, spent thirteen seasons climbing through the Juventus youth sector from a young age through the Primavera and Next Gen ranks.

Merola’s path to the senior bench required immense resilience. In 2024, shortly after the death of his father, he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear. After returning in December of that year, he contributed six goals and six assists for the Under-20 side during the 2025/26 season, earning a contract extension through June 2028. Following an impressive outing against Renate under coach Massimo Brambilla—where he hit the crossbar and assisted a goal for Durmisi—and an international strike for Italy’s Under-19 team against Scotland in October 2025, Merola occupied the bench wearing the number 51 shirt.

Juventus Seeks Defensive Consistency in European Campaign

The 2-2 stalemate leaves Juventus searching for defensive consistency as the European campaign progresses alongside domestic commitments.