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Dusan Vlahovic Nets 33 Secs Into UCL Debut For Juventus To Show Arsenal & Spurs What They're Missing

Dusan Vlahovic took just 33 seconds to score on his Champions League debut for Juventus, weeks after snubbing Arsenal and Tottenham in favor of the Turin club.

Robert Summerscales

Dusan Vlahovic Nets 33 Secs Into UCL Debut For Juventus To Show Arsenal & Spurs What They're Missing
Dusan Vlahovic Nets 33 Secs Into UCL Debut For Juventus To Show Arsenal & Spurs What They're Missing /

Dusan Vlahovic took just 33 seconds to announce his arrival on the biggest stage in European soccer.

The 22-year-old made his Champions League debut for Juventus on Tuesday and scored inside the first minute of their last 16 first leg at Villarreal.

His first touch as a UCL player was to control a long Danilo pass forward with his chest. His second saw him beat Villarreal keeper Geronimo Rulli with a low shot.

Dusan Vlahovic watches on as his shot beats Geronimo Rulli to give him his first ever Champions League goal for Juventus
Dusan Vlahovic watches on as his shot finds the net give him his first ever Champions League goal :: IMAGO/Sportimage/Jonathan Moscrop

Although Vlahovic had never played at this level before, his fine start came as little surprise.

This was a player who had scored 17 goals in 21 Serie A games for Fiorentina earlier this season, before earning a move to Juve in January.

Juve were not the only team who wanted Vlahovic.

Arsenal and Tottenham had both targeted him before he joined Juve for £66.6m (€80m/$90.5m), according to Sky Sports.

Neither north London club could offer Vlahovic Champions League soccer this season. But both are among a host of Premier League clubs battling to finish fourth and qualify for next season's competition.

Dusan Vlahovic celebrates after scoring his first Champions League goal for Juventus against Villarreal
Vlahovic celebrates after giving Juventus the lead after 33 seconds against Villarreal :: IMAGO/Nicolo Campo

Had Vlahovic joined Arsenal, he would likely have been the man they built their attack around.

The Gunners are set to become almost striker-less in June. Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah are poised to leave on free transfers, just like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang did to join Barcelona this winter.

Vlahovic at Tottenham might have been a slightly different dynamic. Game-time would be less guaranteed due to the presence of England captain Harry Kane, although it is possible that they could have played together.

Juventus opted to play Vlahovic alongside Alvaro Morata and Paulo Dybala in a three-man attack during his first four domestic appearances for them.

But Dybala missed Tuesday's game at Villarreal with a thigh injury, so Vlahovic started up top with Morata in a 3-5-2 system.

The first leg finished 1-1 after Dani Parejo equalized for Villarreal in the 66th minute,

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Robert Summerscales
ROBERT SUMMERSCALES

Robert Summerscales launched FanNation Futbol in February 2022. Rob is a British journalist who previously spent two years on the sports desk at the Daily Mail in London, having earlier served as editor of CaughtOffside.com. He has been to the last two FIFA Men's World Cups, in Russia and Qatar, and is looking forward to completing his hat-trick in North America in 2026.

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