Aston Villa’s Champions League clash with Juventus ended in controversy as Morgan Rogers’ late strike was chalked off, leaving Roy Keane to brand the decision “ridiculous”.
The match had been a tightly contested affair, with both sides creating chances but ultimately failing to find the back of the net. However, in the 94th minute, Rogers thought he had won it for Villa with a clinical finish, only for referee Jesus Gil Manzano to intervene and disallow the goal for a foul by Diego Carlos on Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio.
Keane, who was working as a pundit for the match, was apoplectic with the decision. “It’s a ridiculous decision,” he fumed. “The goalkeeper is trying to get to the ball, and Carlos is just trying to get out of the way. It’s not a foul, it’s just a nonsense decision.”
Villa manager Unai Emery was also left frustrated by the decision, and felt that his team had been denied a clear winner. “We’re disappointed with the result, but we’re proud of the performance,” he said. “We knew it would be a tough game, but we created some good chances and defended well. We just need to keep working hard and believing in ourselves.”
The draw leaves Villa ninth in the Champions League standings, but still in contention to qualify automatically for the last 16. They will be looking to bounce back from the disappointment of the denied goal when they face Liverpool in their next Champions League match.
“It’s a tough pill to swallow, but we can’t let it get us down,” Emery said. “We have to keep moving forward and focus on the next game. We’ll be ready for Liverpool, and we’ll give it our all to get the win.”
Keane, meanwhile, was scathing in his criticism of the referee’s decision. “The referee is too quick to blow his whistle,” he said. “He’s not giving the players a chance to play the game. It’s a big decision, and it’s cost Villa the win.”
The controversy surrounding the disallowed goal will undoubtedly dominate the headlines in the coming days, but for Villa, the focus must now shift to their next match against Liverpool. With a win crucial to their hopes of progressing to the knockout stages, Emery’s side will need to put the disappointment of the denied goal behind them and focus on getting a result against the Reds.
“We’ll learn from this experience and move on,” Emery said. “We have to be ready for the next game, and we’ll do everything we can to get the win.”
