Juventus Rescues Late Draw Against Salernitana in Frustrating Encounter

Juventus narrowly escaped an embarrassing home defeat against bottom-of-the-table Salernitana, with Adrien Rabiot’s last-minute goal salvaging a 1-1 draw for the Bianconeri. The result extends Juventus’ dismal run of form to just three wins in their last 17 competitive matches, a concerning trend that includes nine draws and five losses.

With four consecutive draws in the league leading up to this match, Juventus was eager to secure a morale-boosting victory against their already-relegated opponents. However, the opening stages proved to be frustrating for Massimiliano Allegri’s side, with Dusan Vlahovic squandering their best opportunity by firing wastefully over the bar.

Salernitana capitalized on Juventus’ disjointed start, seizing the lead shortly before the half-hour mark when Niccolo Pierozzi headed home from Junior Samba’s delivery. The Bianconeri appeared shell-shocked by the goal, and Salernitana came close to doubling their advantage as Chukwubuikem Ikwuemesi’s effort was thwarted by Wojciech Szczesny.

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Despite Juventus’ efforts to regain composure before halftime, Andrea Cambiaso’s strike from range rattled against the woodwork, leaving the hosts trailing at the break.

Allegri made tactical adjustments at halftime, introducing substitutes Federico Chiesa and Samuel Iling-Junior to inject urgency into Juventus’ attack. The changes immediately provided the Bianconeri with a greater sense of purpose in the final third, but Vlahovic squandered a glorious chance before Chiesa saw his effort blocked.

As the match progressed into the final 20 minutes, Juventus continued to push forward relentlessly, with Vincenzo Fiorillo denying Arkadiusz Milik’s header with a brilliant save. Despite their dominance, Juventus struggled to break through the resilient Salernitana defense, coming agonizingly close when Fabio Miretti’s strike crashed against the underside of the crossbar in the dying minutes.

However, Juventus finally found the breakthrough in stoppage time as Rabiot tapped in at the back post from Manuel Locatelli’s delivery, salvaging a draw for Allegri’s side. The result extends Juventus’ streak of consecutive draws to five matches.

Meanwhile, Salernitana’s winless streak across all competitions now stands at 19 matches, highlighting their struggles to secure a victory in 2024.

The match epitomized Juventus’ recent struggles to find consistency and assert dominance, despite their status as one of Italy’s premier clubs. While the late equalizer provided a measure of relief, Allegri and his team will be acutely aware of the need to address their deficiencies and return to winning ways as they navigate the remainder of the season.