FEDERICO GATTI’S FIRST goal for Juventus gave the Italian side a 1-0 win over Sporting Lisbon and a solid chance of reaching the Europa League semi-finals.
Joyous Gatti tapped in the only goal of a tight game in the 73rd minute at the Allianz Stadium in Turin to give Juve a slender lead to defend in Portugal next week.
The 24-year-old defender was on hand to poke home after Antonio Adan flapped at a deep cross and Dusan Vlahovic had his resulting header cleared off the line.
The win was a positive end to a night in which Juve had to watch in worry as goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was checked over by medical staff following chest pain.
Poland international Szczesny was replaced by Mattia Perin late in the first half, leaving the pitch in tears after breathing problems and heart palpitations.
“The reality is that I’d seen Mattia was doing really well in training and I was tired,” joked Szczesny, who then spoke of his tearful exit from the match.
“It was fear, it was something that had never happened to me before. I was struggling to breathe so I was worried and scared.”
Perin proved a handy replacement for Szczesny, who Juve say didn’t have any serious health issues after early tests.
Elsewhere, Feyenoord also took a step towards the semi-finals with a 1-0 win over Roma in the first leg of the two teams’ last eight clash.
Netherlands midfielder Mats Wieffer gave Eredivisie leaders Feyenoord a slender lead to take to Rome with a sumptuous volley nine minutes after the break at Rotterdam’s De Kuip stadium.
The 23-year-old’s third goal of the season was just enough for the Dutch outfit to see off Jose Mourinho’s side in a rematch of last season’s Conference League final which was won by the Italians.
