Juventus' 100 per cent Serie A record came to an end after a thrilling and controversial 2-2 draw with Genoa at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.
David Trezeguet rescued Juve a point with four minutes remaining after Giandomenico Mesto and Hernan Crespo had overturned Vincenzo Iaquinta's opener, but the Bianconeri also controversially had two goals disallowed for offside, one that was clearly legal.
Juventus had lost top spot to Inter and were eager to take it back with a win, but came into this game with real injury problems as Mohamed Sissoko, Hasan Salihamidzic, Alessandro Del Piero, Fabio Cannavaro, Tiago, and Diego were all out injured.
Felipe Melo returned, while coach Ciro Ferrara switched to a 4-3-3 by dropping Sebastian Giovinco and fielding a three-pronged attack of Mauro Camoranesi, Vincenzo Iaquinta and Amauri.
Genoa were without former Juventino Domenico Criscito, who was suspended, as well as the injured Bosko Jankovic and Ivan Juric. Sergio Floccari was preferred to Hernan Crespo in the trident attack, flanked by Giandomenico Mesto and Giuseppe Sculli.
The home side threatened first as Nicola Legrottaglie had to get his body in the way to block Sculli's dangerous effort.
But it was Juventus who took the lead on five minutes with a clinical finish from Iaquinta. Camoranesi dummied Claudio Marchisio's pass across the edge of the penalty box, andIaquinta fired home a pinpoint drive into the bottom corner.
Amauri sidestepped his man before shooting straight at Marco Amelia, but Genoa threatened an equaliser on 10 minutes as Omar Milanetto burst past two players and laid the ball off to Mesto, but Fabio Grosso performed a superb sliding block.
Despite this scare Juventus should have doubled their advantage minutes later as Amauri rose completely unmarked in the six yard box from Grosso's free kick but headed over.
Amauri almost managed to get a clean run on goal but the referee pulled him back for a foul on Emiliano Moretti.
The Brazilian-born hitman was being wasteful in front of goal, and just shy of the half-hour mark he headed wide from six yards from a Grosso free kick with a line of team-mates queuing up behind him.
Amauri would pay for this miss, as sixty seconds later Genoa were level. Sculli crossed from the left, and Mesto powered home a brilliant header into the top corner.
The goal fired Juventus up, with Iaquinta and Marchisio letting fly from distance, but the teams would go in level at half time after an exhilarating first half of football.
Genoa made one change at the break as Crespo replaced Floccari, while Juventus remained as so.
Genoa goalscorer Mesto made his second vital contribution of the evening on 48 minutes as he blocked Marchisio's goalbound effort.
Marchisio nutmegged Marco Rossi down the left, before cutting inside and testing Amelia as Juve upped the tempo.
Iaquinta then missed a glorious chance on 53 minutes as Marchisio chipped him through on goal, but the striker delayed and a defender managed to block the ball on the line.
Juventus were completely dominant now, and Iaquinta spurned another fine chance from Camoranesi's cross when he slipped at the final moment. Camoranesi headed over from the following corner.
Genoa coach Gian Piero Gasperini realised his side's problems and switched to a 4-4-1-1 by swapping Sokratis for Francesco Modesto.
This seemed to have a positive impact on the hosts, and Gianluigi Buffon acrobatically tipped over a Sculli piledriver.
There was huge controversy on 73 minutes as Iaquinta thought he had put Juve back ahead when heading home Grosso's free kick, but the goal was incorrectly flagged offside when replays showed that he was level with a Genoa defender.
This proved costly as just seconds later Genoa scored themselves, with Crespo powering home a bullet header from Mesto's cross.
To add to Juve's woes Marchisio limped off injured and was replaced by Giovinco.
Juventus continued to push forward, and incredibly they had a second goal disallowed, this time from Chiellini. Substitute David Trezeguet was adjudged to have been in an offside position, but replays suggested that the decision could have gone either way.
With four minutes remaining Juve finally got their equaliser. A free kick from the left was headed across goal by Chiellini, and Trezeguet couldn't miss from a yard out.
Juventus move back to the top of the table, but they are now level with Inter on 13 points from five games. Genoa are up to joint-fourth.
Comments
0 comment