88th-Minute Offside Call Denies Juventus Victory in 2-2 Rennes Draw
Juventus maintained their unbeaten status in the UEFA Europa League League Phase by salvaging a 2-2 draw against Stade Rennais at Juventus Stadium, bringing their total to seven points from three European fixtures. Attacker Nick Woltemade dictated the hosts’ offensive movement, providing an early assist and converting a second-half spot-kick to erase a halftime deficit. The result stabilizes the Italian side’s European campaign following a recent 3-0 home loss in domestic action.
Woltemade Drives Front Line Before Late Video Review Alters Final Outcome
The Italian hosts established an immediate rhythm in the fifth minute through a precise tactical combination. Woltemade slipped a slide-rule pass behind the French club’s low defensive block, enabling right-back Zeki Celik to break the offside trap and drive an angled finish past goalkeeper Brice Samba. Stade Rennais responded ten minutes later when Bryan Reynolds delivered a cross to the far post, allowing Mousa Al-Tamari to turn the ball in from six yards and level the score.
Juventus
clubPressure mounted on the home side late in the first half when Mahamadou Nagida hit a volley following a cleared corner, with the ball striking Douglas Luiz’s arm as the midfielder fell inside the box. The match referee immediately pointed to the penalty spot, and former Lazio forward Boulaye Dia converted the 43rd-minute kick by sending Guglielmo Vicario the wrong way to give Rennes the lead. Juventus shifted to a four-man defensive line on the hour mark to push higher up the pitch and re-establish possession.
The tactical shift paid dividends in the 67th minute when second-half substitute Nico Gonzalez headed down a Douglas Luiz free kick onto the arm of Reynolds inside the penalty area. Woltemade stepped up to convert the resulting penalty straight down the center, drawing the hosts level. Juventus controlled the closing stages, forcing multiple defensive interventions from Rennes as Samba saved from Teun Koopmeiners and Woltemade sent consecutive headers wide from set-piece deliveries.
Nick Woltemade
player| Match Statistic | Juventus | Stade Rennais |
|---|---|---|
| Possession % | 54% | 46% |
| Total Shots | 14 | 16 |
| Shots on Target | 4 | 5 |
| Corners | 7 | 5 |
| Fouls Committed | 14 | 10 |
- 5′ Goal: Zeki Celik (Juventus), assisted by Nick Woltemade.
- 15′ Goal: Mousa Al-Tamari (Stade Rennais), assisted by Bryan Reynolds.
- 19′ Yellow Card: Federico Gatti (Juventus).
- 43′ Goal (Penalty): Boulaye Dia (Stade Rennais).
- 67′ Goal (Penalty): Nick Woltemade (Juventus).
- 82′ Yellow Card: Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal (Stade Rennais).
Federico Gatti received the match’s opening yellow card in the 19th minute following a tactical challenge during a Rennes counter-attack, while Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal was booked in the 82nd minute for a late tackle on the edge of the box.
The decisive moment arrived in the 88th minute when Jhon Lucumi volleyed into the net from 12 yards after Koopmeiners flicked on a deep free kick. A video review determined that Lucumi was positioned beyond the last defender at the exact moment of Koopmeiners’ initial touch, prompting UEFA match officials to invalidate the goal for offside.