Advertisement

Soccer-Llorente earns Juve 2-2 draw with Real in thriller

(Adds details) Nov 5 (Reuters) - Juventus striker Fernando Llorente grabbed a potentially crucial point for the Italian champions in a pulsating 2-2 draw at home to Real Madrid in Champions League Group B on Tuesday. Arturo Vidal's penalty gave Juve a deserved halftime lead but the visitors turned the game around with two quickfire goals after the break. Cristiano Ronaldo levelled with his eighth goal in this season's competition following a blunder by Martin Caceres and then set up Gareth Bale shortly afterwards for Real's second. Caceres atoned by providing the cross for Llorente to equalise in the 66th minute, leaving Juventus still winless with three points from four games, Group leaders Real have 10 and are almost certain to progress to the last 16. Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas twice prevented Juventus taking the lead as the hosts continually threatened during the first half. He brilliantly stopped Pepe from scoring an own goal when the defender diverted Paul Pogba's flicked cross towards goal, and blocked a Claudio Marchisio header. Juventus went ahead when Pogba was clumsily knocked over by Raphael Varane and Vidal fired into the roof of the net three minutes before the break. Real levelled after a Caceres back pass went straight to Karim Benzema who fed the ball for Ronaldo to side-foot past Gianluigi Buffon. Bale then fired Real ahead, clinically finishing with a left-foot effort from Ronaldo's pass, but Caceres atoned for his blunder by providing a cross for Llorente to head home. (Writing by Brian Homewood in Berne; Editing by Ken Ferris and Josh Reich)