Juventus experienced a surprising 1-1 draw at home against Cagliari on Sunday, allowing Inter Milan to take over second place in Serie A. Razvan Marin scored an equalizer in the 88th minute, converting a penalty after Douglas Luiz clumsily brought down Roberto Piccoli. Luiz had also conceded a penalty during Wednesday’s thrilling Champions League victory at Leipzig.
Marin’s well-placed penalty canceled out Dusan Vlahovic’s opening spot-kick in the 15th minute and lifted Cagliari just above the relegation zone. This match marked the first goal conceded by Juventus in Serie A this season, leaving Thiago Motta’s team three points behind league leaders Napoli after seven matches. “We took our foot off the pedal after our goal, and we can’t do that,” Motta commented. “We need to keep attacking and attack well. We created a few opportunities, but there was always a feeling that Cagliari could get back into the game. What happened today is all our own fault.”
Cagliari almost claimed a last-minute victory when Adam Obert struck the post in the fifth minute of stoppage time, with Juventus reduced to 10 men following Francisco Conceicao’s sending off shortly after Marin’s equalizer. Conceicao received a second yellow card while attempting to earn Juventus’s second penalty of the match during a frantic finish that followed a VAR check.
“I’m pleased to get a point at Juve,” Marin said. “It was hard because the whole stadium was whistling at me, but I managed to keep my concentration.”
Penalty Controversy
Juventus, missing key players Nico Gonzalez, Arkadiusz Milik, Timothy Weah, and Gleison Bremer—who sustained a serious knee injury at Leipzig—might have secured all three points if Dusan Vlahovic hadn’t squandered a significant opportunity in the 78th minute. The Serbian striker, currently on five Serie A goals this season, inexplicably shot wide on the rebound after Douglas Luiz’s attempt was parried by Simone Scuffet.
The opener itself was marred by controversy; the penalty was awarded when Cagliari defender Sebastiano Luperto’s fingers grazed the ball during an aerial tussle with Federico Gatti. A VAR check confirmed the decision, as Luperto’s arm was high in the air at the moment he touched the ball. However, he was landing from his jump, with Gatti leaning on his shoulder while two other players also vied for possession.
AC Milan has the chance to leapfrog both champions Inter and Juventus with a win against Fiorentina in the day’s final fixture. Juventus now shares 13 points with their next opponents, Lazio, who sit fourth after handing a first defeat of the season to surprise team Empoli with a 2-1 victory in Rome. Pedro scored the winner with just four minutes left on the clock, having come back from Sebastiano Esposito’s early goal.
Lazio equalized through Mattia Zaccagni in first-half stoppage time and also saw a penalty from Valentin Castellanos saved by Empoli’s impressive goalkeeper, Devis Vasquez. Meanwhile, Bologna’s challenging start under Vincenzo Italiano continued with a goalless draw against Parma, who played most of the second half a man down after Woyo Coulibaly’s dismissal seven minutes after the break.
