​Aston Villa Settles for 0-0 Draw Against Undermanned Juventus

Aston Villa had to settle for a 0-0 draw against a weakened Juventus side in the Champions League on Wednesday, after a last-minute goal by Morgan Rogers was disallowed for a foul on Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio.

Villa thought they had snatched a victory at the death, potentially ending a six-game winless run, when Di Gregorio failed to catch a free kick. However, the goal was ruled out as Diego Carlos was judged to have fouled the keeper, leading to boos from the Villa fans at the final whistle.

The match itself was lackluster, with Juventus seemingly content to maintain possession. Both teams squandered chances, with Villa’s best opportunity coming from Lucas Digne, who hit the crossbar with a free kick just before halftime.

In the second half, Francisco Conceicao’s close-range header from a corner appeared destined for the net, but Villa's World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emi Martinez made a fingertip save, with replays showing the ball just failed to cross the line.

Villa captain John McGinn almost put the home side ahead in the 70th minute after a pass from Leon Bailey, but his shot was blocked by Manuel Locatelli.

Unai Emery's Villa started their Champions League campaign strong, with three victories and three clean sheets, but now sit ninth in the table after five games.

Juventus, despite being unbeaten in Serie A this season but only having 14 outfield players available on Wednesday, are 19th in the 36-team table. The top eight automatically qualify for the last 16, while the next 16 teams enter a two-leg playoff to compete for the remaining spots.

A victory would have been a significant morale booster for Emery’s team, who have not won since their 2-0 Champions League victory over Bologna on Oct. 22, and have slipped to eighth in the Premier League with just one win in their last five games.