Juventus Misses the Chance to Take Top Spot in Serie A after Being Held to a Draw by Genoa
Juventus had the perfect opportunity to move into the top spot in the Serie A table, but unfortunately, they were unable to seize it as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Genoa. The draw places them just behind the leaders Inter, who will now have to play catch-up in their upcoming clash with Lazio.
Federico Chiesa was the one to put the visitors ahead from the penalty spot in the 28th minute at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. But the lead was shortlived, as Albert Gudmundsson managed to level the score just three minutes after the beginning of the second half, and Juventus could not find a winning goal to secure the victory.
Massimiliano Allegri was facing a few challenges as he had to manage without Adrien Rabiot, who had joined Mattia De Sciglio and Moise Kean on the sidelines due to a minor foot problem. To add to that, both Paul Pogba and Nicolo Fagioli were suspended, leaving the team with limited options.
On the other hand, Genoa was also dealing with their own set of challenges, with their attacking options being limited by the unavailability of Kevin Strootman and Mateo Retegui. Although Genoa had the first shot in the sixth minute through Ruslan Malinovskyi, it was from a long way out and was comfortably saved by Wojciech Szczesny.
Chiesa looked like the most formidable player for Juventus, appearing to have the best chance of catching out Josep Martinez in the home goal with a fierce shot from a difficult angle that was ultimately pushed behind.
Chiesa then demonstrated his versatility as he turned creator in the 22nd minute by delivering a brilliant cross to the edge of the six-yard box, where Dusan Vlahovic met the ball but could not keep his effort down. Six minutes later, Chiesa was instrumental once again as he seized on a heavy touch in defense to play in Vlahovic, who was taken down by Martinez which resulted in a successful penalty kick from Chiesa.
Despite Genoa’s efforts to hit back, the closest they came before the break was a Johan Vasquez effort from a corner that flew just over the crossbar.
The second half saw Alberto Gilardino sending on Caleb Ekuban for Vasquez and within three minutes, the substitution paid off as Ekuban played a key role in the equalizer. Genoa’s Martinez also made some critical saves, reacting smartly to secure an impressive point for Genoa.
This draw leaves Juventus just behind the league leaders, and while they missed their opportunity to take the top spot, the race for the title continues to heat up in the Serie A.