UEFA Champions League
Madrid: Hector Herrera grabbed a dramatic point on his Atletico Madrid debut with a late header that saw his side come back from two goals down to draw 2-2 in their Champions League opener against Juventus on Wednesday.
Herrera came off the bench to crash home Kieran Tripper’s last-minute corner and complete the comeback after Juve had gone ahead through Juan Cuadrado’s superb strike seconds after the break and a bullet header from Blaise Matuidi on 65 minutes. Stefan Savic gave the home fans hope when he pulled one back for Atletico five minutes after Frenchman Matuidi had doubled the away side’s lead.
“I’m happy to have made my first appearance and to have helped the team. This side is known for how it always fights to the end,” said Herrera to TV broadcaster Movistar. “A draw against a team like Juventus isn’t bad at all. We wanted to win the match but a draw is a good result given the quality of the opposition.”
Both sides now trail Lokomotiv Moscow in Group D thanks to the Russians’ 2-1 win at Bayer Leverkusen after a result that left Maurizio Sarri’s Juve disappointed they didn’t get more from an impressive second-half display. Cuadrado had flashed Juve into the lead two minutes after the restart. The home fans had to survive one last scare however, with an otherwise quiet Cristiano Ronaldo coming to within centimetres of an incredible winner when his mazy dribble ended with a low drive that beat Oblak and the far post. (AFP)