TURIN: Juventus lost further ground in the Serie A title race when they were held to a 0-0 home draw by Genoa on Sunday, with striker Dusan Vlahovic sent off in added time, leaving the Turin side with one win in eight games.
The result means Juve are 16 points behind runaway leaders Inter Milan and level on 59 with second-placed AC Milan, with both sides playing later on Sunday. Genoa stay in 12th place.
Vlahovic, who had just returned from suspension, was booked in second-half added time and then immediately received a second yellow card for dissent.
The 26-year-old is second-top scorer in Serie A this season with 15 goals and the sending off will see the Serbia striker miss Juve’s next league game against Lazio after the international break.
“Unfortunately he made a mistake, the club will fine him. I haven’t spoken to him,” Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri said.
Juventus were poor in the first half while Genoa were compact but could not find the decisive finish. The visitors came closest to scoring in the first half when defender Mattia Bani rose to head Albert Gudmundsson’s cross but goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to make a brilliant save.
Juve showed much more urgency after the break, with substitute Samuel Iling-Junior hitting the woodwork from the edge of the box. Their biggest chance came in the 75th minute when Vlahovic headed the ball just over the bar.
“Today in the first half we made technical mistakes. We had a good second half with some chances that we didn’t take advantage of,” Allegri added.
“It’s a time when we can’t win. We deserve the 59 points and we have to keep working”. The Italian said Juve will only take positives from the game and that he had confidence in his side to bounce back.
“The team proved to be compact. I have nothing to reproach the boys for,” he said. “I see today’s game in a positive light because it will give us a push on the final stretch of the championship.”
