Juventus sees three-game winning streak end with a draw at the Bentegodi.
Juventus were held to a 1-1 draw away at Hellas Verona in a lively Serie A clash, ending their run of three consecutive victories. All the key action came in the first half, with Francisco Conceiçao opening the scoring for the visitors before Orban equalized from the penalty spot just before halftime.
The Bianconeri, playing their third match in seven days, looked sluggish in the early stages. Verona, meanwhile, showed no fear and matched their more celebrated opponents with an aggressive and organized approach.
After surviving an early scare when Di Gregorio was forced into a save following a Gatti mistake, Juventus went ahead in the 19th minute. Conceiçao picked up the ball on the right, cut inside, rode a challenge, and unleashed a precise left-footed shot into the far corner to make it 1-0.
Verona responded well, pushing higher up the pitch and creating problems for the Juventus defense. Their pressure paid off just before halftime when the referee awarded a penalty after a VAR review for a Joao Mario handball. Orban stepped up and confidently converted to level the score at 1-1 in the 44th minute.
The second half remained intense and end-to-end. In the 54th minute, Di Gregorio denied Orban with a crucial save, while at the other end, Juventus struggled to create clear chances. Tudor made several substitutions, but they failed to shift the momentum. Verona’s Orban came close again in the 74th minute, his shot grazing the outside of the post.
The final big opportunity of the match fell to Cambiaso, who was brilliantly set up by Openda at the back post, but his effort went wide, leaving both sides to settle for a point.
Match Report
Scorers:
19’ Conceiçao (J), 44’ (pen) Orban (V)
Hellas Verona (3-5-2): Montipò; Unai Nunez, Nelsson, Frese; Belghali (77’ Kastanos), Serdar (90’ Santiago), Akpa-Akpro (77’ Niasse), Bernede, Bradaric; Giovane (63’ Sarr), Orban (90’ Ajayi).
Coach: Zanetti
Juventus (3-4-2-1): Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Gatti, Kelly; Joao Mario (83’ Zhegrova), Thuram (57’ Adzic), Locatelli (46’ Koopmeiners), Cambiaso; Conceiçao (70’ David), Yildiz; Vlahovic (57’ Openda).
Coach: Tudor
Referee: Rapuano
Yellow Cards: Akpa-Akpro (V), Orban (V), Bernede (V), Gatti (J), Kelly (J), Koopmeiners (J)
Red Cards: None
