Udinese stuns Juventus with Giannetti's decisive goal

Udinese clinched their third Serie A victory of the season with a surprising 1-0 triumph over Juventus, a team competing for the title, at the Allianz Stadium. This win halted Udinese’s streak of eight consecutive defeats against Juventus on their away matches.

Juventus, having experienced back-to-back matches without a win for the first time this season, aimed for a positive response against their struggling opponents.

Eager to take control from the start, Juventus dominated possession in the opening 20 minutes. Despite promising opportunities created by Federico Chiesa and Timothy Weah, Juventus failed to convert.

Nevertheless, Udinese seized the opportunity and broke the deadlock against Juventus‘ dominant play in the 25th minute. Center-back Lautaro Giannetti capitalized on a delivery by Lazar Samardzic, scoring from inside the six-yard box to give Udinese the lead.

Get real-time football scores here!

Although Juventus increased their intensity before halftime, Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye denied them a goal, maintaining Udinese’s lead at the break.

In the opening stages of the second half, Juventus, despite dominating possession in midfield, struggled to create meaningful chances in the final third, particularly with their key striker, Dusan Vlahovic, sidelined due to injury. The absence of Vlahovic significantly impacted Juventus’ attacking prowess, leaving them searching for alternatives to break down Udinese’s defense.

Juventus continued to probe for an equalizer as the match progressed into the second half, with Arkadiusz Milik coming close to scoring around the hour mark. However, his well-taken header was ultimately disallowed after Federico Chiesa’s corner was ruled to have drifted narrowly out of play.
With time ticking into the final 20 minutes, frustration began to mount among the home supporters as Juventus struggled to find a breakthrough. The lack of creativity in front of goal left the fans increasingly anxious, hoping for a late rally from their team.
Substitute Kenan Yildiz provided a glimmer of hope for Juventus late in the game, coming close to converting a chance from Andrea Cambiaso’s cross. However, Udinese’s resolute defense held firm, denying Juventus any clear-cut opportunities to salvage a result.
The disappointing defeat against Udinese leaves Juventus with a sense of urgency to bounce back in their next fixture against Hellas Verona. With their title aspirations at stake, Juventus will be determined to regain momentum and close the gap on league leaders Inter Milan.

Looking ahead, Juventus will be eager to address their attacking deficiencies and regroup for the challenges ahead, with the focus on delivering improved performances to keep their Serie A title hopes alive.