Despite playing at home, Juventus were defeated 1-0 by Udinese, a team in the lower half of the table, in round 24 of Serie A.
This was Juventus' third consecutive match without a win and their second consecutive defeat in Serie A. On January 28th, they drew 1-1 with Empoli, before losing 0-1 to rivals Inter in the Italian derby. This poor form has put Max Allegri's team at a disadvantage in the title race. They currently have 53 points after 24 matches, seven points behind Inter and with a game in hand.
Juventus players were disappointed after losing 0-1 to Udinese at the Allianz Stadium on February 12. Photo: AFP
Juventus attacked right from the opening whistle with the aim of scoring early to extinguish the hopes of Udinese - a team going through one of the worst periods in the club's history with only 19 points from 23 matches.
However, not only did Allegri's team fail to achieve their goal, but they also suffered a setback in the 25th minute. From a free kick, Lazar Samardzic lofted the ball into the home team's penalty area, creating a chaotic situation. Alex Sandro's clearance was indecisive, allowing center-back Lautaro Giannetti to tap the ball in for the goal.
Unexpectedly conceding a goal, Juventus pressed forward. However, despite dominating possession, controlling 70% of the ball and launching 13 shots on target compared to their opponent's 5, Juventus were unable to score. Their most notable chance came when Arkadiusz Milik headed the ball into the net in the 60th minute, but it was disallowed by VAR because the ball had gone out of bounds after Federico Chiesa took the corner kick.
Juventus fans have reason to worry about the quality of their team's attack. In their last two matches, Allegri's side failed to score. Missing their main striker Dusan Vlahovic due to injury, Juventus were helpless against Udinese's crowded defense and suffered their first defeat against this opponent in Serie A since July 2020.
Juventus will play away at Verona in their next match, part of Serie A's 25th round, on February 18th.
Vinh San
Source link
Comment (0)