Serie A: Juventus held after late Genoa strike
Serie A: Juventus held after late Genoa strike
Alessandro Matri twice gave Juventus the lead, but Andrea Caracciolo scored late to hold the Serie A leaders.

Rome: Genoa striker Andrea Caracciolo scored a late equalizer to hold Serie A leaders Juventus to a 2-2 draw on Saturday.

Alessandro Matri had twice given Juventus the lead but Caracciolo found the target from a sharp angle in the 85th minute after reserve goalkeeper Marco Storari - playing for the injured Gianluigi Buffon - failed to intervene.

Matri had put Juve in front six minutes in with a deflection of a shot from Claudio Marchisio, then took advantage when Andrea Pirlo distracted the defence to restore the Turin club's lead in the 58th.

Marco Rossi had equalized for Genoa in the 31st with a bouncing header, and the visitors nearly drew level in the 63rd when Alexander Merkel hit the crossbar with a header.

With 13 points, Juve moved one point ahead of Udinese, who hosts newly-promoted Novara on Sunday.

With three wins and four draws, Juventus remained unbeaten under new coach Antonio Conte.

"We've absolutely got to be more careful, because the game was over with five minutes to go," Conte said. "We've got to grow game by game. We've still got a long way to go."

"This is a (long-term) project. Whoever has won knows that you don't just wake up one day and become a winner," added Conte, a former Juventus captain who won five Italian titles and one Champions League with the Bianconeri as a player.

There was no sign of trouble following reports of a judicial inquiry into alleged irregular building materials used in the new Juventus stadium.

Earlier, Maxi Lopez scored a late equalizer as Catania drew 2-2 at Fiorentina to extend the Tuscan club's winless streak to four matches and pile pressure on manager Sinisa Mihajlovic.

Lopez hit home a rebound of a shot from Pablo Barrientos in the 82nd that had appeared to enter the goal.

Earlier, Stevan Jovetic had twice given Fiorentina the lead.

First, Jovetic scored with a shot from the edge of the area in the 20th, then the Montenegro international put the hosts back in front in the 62nd with a spectacular, curving shot from beyond the area after Gennaro Delvecchio had equalized for Catania in the 43rd with a close-range effort.

Jovetic missed all of last season following knee surgery.

Fiorentina fans held aloft banners and chanted for Mihajlovic's ouster. Visibly frustrated, Mihajlovic was expelled for protests in the 87th and Fiorentina were greeted with a chorus of whistles when the match ended.

"It's fair for the fans to whistle when they're not happy, they have every right to," Mihajlovic said. "But the criticism has been excessive. We've got to just stay calm and focused on the job at hand."

Fiorentina owner Andrea Della Valle said Mihajlovic wasn't at fault, and was already looking ahead to the next match at rivals Juventus on Tuesday.

"Now let's prepare for the match with Juve, this is the game that's most important to the city," Della Valle said.

Fiorentina forward Alberto Gilardino marked his return from a month out with a knee injury by coming on in the 84th.

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