Juventus’ hopes of winning their first Serie A title in four years suffered a setback on Saturday when Empoli limited them to an unexpected 1-1 draw, while AC Milan paid tribute to Mike Maignan in a dramatic 2-2 draw against Bologna.
Tommaso Baldanzi’s goal in the 70th minute stunned the home crowd at the Allianz Stadium, denying Juventus the chance to extend their lead over Inter Milan to 4 points.
Juventus now leads just two problems and Inter could overcome them with a win over Fiorentina on Sunday.
Juventus, reduced to 10 men at the start of the match due to Arkadiusz Milik’s red card, will face Inter Milan next weekend in an “Italian derby” match. Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri explained the challenge ahead: “They are the most productive team in the league and the favourites to win the title. “
Despite the paucity of play, Juventus first took the lead with a goal from Dusan Vlahovic, but then Empoli’s Baldanzi equalized, leaving Empoli in the relegation zone.
Elsewhere, AC Milan drew inspiration from Martin Luther King Jr. to support their goalkeeper, Maignan, who faced racial abuse at Udinese last week. The match was paused in the 16th minute to honour Maignan’s jersey number, with a quote from King displayed on the big screen. Fans and attendees showed their solidarity with a light display and applause.
The match itself was marred by missed chances by Milan, adding two missed consequences through Olivier Giroud and Theo Hernandez. Riccardo Orsolini’s delayed penalty for Bologna cancelled out Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s brace, leaving Milan seven points behind Juventus.
Bologna coach Thiago Motta, while pleased with his team’s performance, has avoided commenting on the refereeing decisions. Milan coach Stefano Pioli expressed remorse for missed opportunities and acknowledged the need to improve the defense.
The draw was a missed opportunity for Milan to close the gap on league leaders Juventus, highlighting the intensity of the Serie A title race.
© 2023 Leadership Media Group – All rights reserved.