Paul Pouba, the long-dormant French soccer superstar, made a career comeback in the first leg of the UEFA Cup quarterfinals in the early hours of Friday morning (12). He delivered a killer pass in the dying moments of the match to help Juventus force a 1-1 draw with Xavier in the final seven minutes of extra time. The second leg will be played in Spain next Friday (19th), where Juventus will challenge for survival away from home to fight for a place in the Europa League final.
Although Juventus had the advantage of home field, they were obviously at a disadvantage in the match with the "King of Europe", Xavier. In the 26th minute of the match, Xavier launched a fast counterattack, Ogambos' precise pass from the right road, and Annesley scored easily when he was unguarded. Juventus made a tactical change in the second half, and Paul Puba, who was introduced in the 70th minute, did a great job, and finally in the 7th minute of extra time, he headed in a cross near the baseline, which was met by substitute Gaddie's towering header in front of the goal to make the score 1-1.
Paul Puba, 30, returned to Juventus at the end of his contract at Manchester United, but has been unable to make his debut due to a long term injury. After his comeback, he finally showed his best form since joining the club. After the game, the coach Ali Sid praised him: "When Paul Puba is moving in the opponent's half, he is undoubtedly the top player in the world. If his form holds up well, I will definitely start him in the starting XI and he can contribute immensely to the team."
