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Toure snatches last-gasp win for Stuttgart at Juventus

football22 October 2024 21:50| © AFP
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El Bilal Toure snatched a last-gasp 1-0 win for Stuttgart at Juventus on Tuesday, striking in stoppage time to give the Germans their first win in this season's revamped Champions League.

Mali forward Toure, who signed for Stuttgart on loan from Atalanta in the summer, lashed in the decisive goal in the second minute of added time just as goalkeeper Mattia Perin thought he had saved a point for Juve.

Moments before Toure's winner Perin flung himself to his right to deny Enzo Millot from the penalty spot, capping a hugely impressive and rare appearance between the sticks which was almost decisive for Juve.

Instead, with Juve down to 10 men due to Danilo being sent off for the foul which gave away the penalty, Toure showed quick feet in the box before finishing past Perin to inflict a first defeat of the season on their opponents, who also lost their perfect record in the competition.

"It's amazing. We gave so much. We were clearly the better team," said Stuttgart forward Deniz Undav.

"It couldn't have been more dramatic, but the win was well deserved."

Stuttgart moved up to 16th place on four points with Tuesday's win, while Juve, on six points, dropped out of the top eight positions which give direct qualification for the last 16.

Juventus were only kept in the game as long as they were by former Italy international Perin, who stepped in for suspended Michele Di Gregorio and kept impressive Stuttgart at bay until Toure struck at the death.

PERIN HEROICS

Stuttgart had 11 shots on target compared to just a single accurate effort from Juve and on another night could have been out of sight at halftime.

The loss is a hefty blow for Juve who are missing a clutch of players to injury and face Italian champions Inter Milan at the San Siro on Sunday evening.

"They were better than us from the first minute. They deserved to win," said Motta to Sky.

"We need to digest this defeat over the next day and then get ready for a big match with Inter."

Perin stopped Ermedin Demirovic from giving Stuttgart the lead in the 30th minute when he just got his fingertips to a low drive which then crashed onto the post.

The 31-year-old was crucial again four minutes before the break with another full-stretch save to deny Undav's looping header, and he also got a hand to the Germany forward's effort which looked to have put the away side ahead shortly after halftime.

However a bemused Undav was ruled after a lengthy CAR check to have used his arm to control the ball before lashing home.

Juve were hanging on and Perin again saved the hosts twice around the hour mark, keeping out Demirovic and Angelo Stiller with two more fingertip saves.

And he bathed in the roars of the home crowd with four minutes remaining, only to have his status as unlikely hero taken away from him by Toure.

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