Where two are flopping, the third win: Juve make the most of Inter's and Milan's deficiencies
Reading Time: 3min | Sat. 26.02.22. | 21:59
Juventus win at Empoli (3-2) to return to the title chase. Vlahovic bags a brace
It would be too much for the club of Juve's ilk to slip for the third time in a row after those 1-1 draws against Atalanta and Torino.
Massimiliano Allegri's slot went on to beat a mid-table Empoli 3-2 to re-establish themselves as the contenders for the Serie A title.
In truth, though, it was a levelled game in the first half an hour with not much of an action on both ends. However, things changed soon.
Rabiot's perfect cross from the left found an unmarked Kean on the far post, and he headed it perfectly for 1-0.
32’ | ⚽️ | GOOOOAAALLLLLLL!! KEAN HEADS IN FOLLOWING A PIN-POINT RABIOT CROSS FROM THE LEFT!!#EmpoliJuve [0-1] #ForzaJuve pic.twitter.com/4hqSle1dLi
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) February 26, 2022
When we all thought Bianconeri would pile pressure on the underdogs, the wonders happened. Or at least a moment of total confusion that the hosts exploited to tie the game at one. Zurkowski was the most clever in the opposite box and scored after the ball ricocheted several times in a snooker-like manner.
👉Empoli 1 - 1 Juventus, 39th minute, ⚽️ goal by Szymon Zurkowski equalizing for @EmpoliCalcio from very close range with a right-footed shot to the bottom right corner following a corner conceded by Arthur. https://t.co/I1hyqX0IGh
— Anna Italia (@ItalianSerieA) February 26, 2022
That celebration didn't last for long, as the mercurial Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic made a mess in Empoli's area before nailing it in the very last seconds of the first half for a 2-1 lead.
The same player picked up from where he stopped in the second half, as Alvaro Morata provided him with a pass that Serbian target-man received excellently to afford himself a smooth finishing.
At that moment, it seemed they had a tie wrapped up with more than 30 minutes left on the clock.
Dusan Vlahovic has now scored 5 goals in 6 games since joining Juventus. Perfect start! 🙌⚫⚪ pic.twitter.com/qFhmBBtCfl
— Forza Juventus (@ForzaJuveEN) February 26, 2022
But Empoli didn't think so.
They exploited Juve's flaws, and one of them is definitely set-pieces defending. La Mantia was forgotten on the near post, and it was 3-2 only ten minutes after Vlahovic's second.
The same player, La Mantia, was so close to scoring a brace like Vlahovic, but his accidental chance following another horrendous Juve defending went off the target.
SERIE A - ROUND 27
Friday
Milan - Udinese 1-1 (1-0)
/Leao 29 - Udogie 66/
Genoa - Inter 0-0
Saturday
Salernitana - Bologna 1-1 (0-1)
/Zortea 72 - Arnautovic 43/
Empoli - Juventus 2-3 (1-2)
/Zurkowski 39, La Mantia 76 - Kean 32, Vlahovic 45+2, 66/
22:45: (2.85) Sassuolo (3.50) Fiorentina (2.55)
Sunday
14:30: (1.65) Torino (3.70) Cagliari (5.70)
17:00: (1.58) Verona (4.20) Venezia (6.50)
20:00: (4.40) Spezia (3.60) Roma (1.83)
22:45: (3.00) Lazio (3.30) Napoli (2.55)
Monday
22:45: (1.45) Atalanta (4.40) Sampdoria (7.25)
***odds are subject to change
