Juventus Drops Points in Serie A Draw Against Verona
Juventus dropped their first points of the Serie A season in a draw against Verona, highlighting their ongoing defensive vulnerabilities.
After a thrilling 4-4 draw with Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League and a narrow victory over Inter Milan last weekend, Igor Tudor's team struggled defensively once again and were perhaps fortunate not to suffer a defeat against their winless opponents.
Portugal winger Francisco Conceicao opened the scoring for Juventus, skillfully navigating a challenge before finding the bottom corner from just outside the penalty area.
However, Verona equalized with a penalty after Joao Mario was controversially penalized for handball when the ball struck his arm following a long throw-in.
Gift Orban converted the penalty, which struck the underside of the crossbar despite Juventus goalkeeper Michele di Gregorio getting a hand to it. Shortly thereafter, Orban received only a yellow card for a swinging arm that caught Federico Gatti in the face.
As the match progressed, Verona appeared more likely to secure a second-half winner, with Suat Serdar's header correctly ruled out for offside. Both Orban and Martin Frese tested di Gregorio, who made several crucial saves.
This draw places Juventus at the top of the Serie A table ahead of the remaining fixtures for the weekend, with Napoli set to host Pisa on Monday as they aim to maintain the league's only perfect record.