Daniele Rugani scored deep in stoppage time to help Juventus end its winless run with a 3-2 victory over lowly Frosinone — and avoid league leader Inter Milan extending its already considerable advantage on Sunday.
The in-form Dušan Vlahović had already scored twice in the
first half, thanks to two assists from United States international Weston
McKennie, and he also turned provider late on as Juventus snapped a run of four
matches without a win.
Second-placed Juventus moved to within six points of Inter,
which has played two fewer matches and visits relegation-threatened Lecce
later. AC Milan was playing Atalanta later.
It was a fourth straight loss for Frosinone and left it
three points above the drop zone.
Juventus was looking to get back to winning ways after only
picking up two points from its past four matches.
And things looked to be going to plan when it took the lead
with less than three minutes on the clock. McKennie controlled a ball over the
top and crossed from the right for Vlahović to slot into the far bottom corner.
However, Walid Cheddira headed in the equaliser 11 minutes
later and the visitors turned the match around completely in the 27th when
Marco Brescianini fired in after a great through ball from Emanuele Valeri.
Juventus levelled five minutes later as McKennie controlled
a cross from Andrea Cambiaso and found Vlahović, who curled into the bottom
left corner for his 15th league goal of the season and his ninth in seven
matches.
McKennie was forced off three minutes from time with a left
shoulder injury after landing awkwardly.
Just as it appeared Juventus was heading for another winless
match, the ever-dangerous Vlahović nodded on a corner to the back post for
Rugani to fire home from the tightest of angles in the fifth minute of stoppage
time.
COACHING DEBUT
Zito Luvumbo also netted late for relegation-threatened
Cagliari to snatch a 1-1 draw at defending champion Napoli and spoil coach
Francesco Calzona’s Serie A debut.
Napoli had appeared to be heading for a first win in four
matches after Victor Osimhen was left completely unmarked to head in a cross in
the 66th minute before Luvumbo leveled in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
In another blow, Osimhen limped off six minutes from time
seemingly injured and will now be a doubt for next week’s matches against
Sassuolo and Juventus.
Osimhen had only just returned from the Africa Cup of
Nations, where he helped Nigeria reach the final. His first match back was
Wednesday’s 1-1 draw against Barcelona in the Champions League — where he also
scored.
That was Calzona’s first match in charge after replacing the
fired Walter Mazzarri on Monday.
Calzona, who is also coach of the Slovakia national team,
had never managed at club level although he had two spells as a Napoli
assistant.
Napoli remained ninth, while Cagliari moved level with
Hellas Verona and Sassuolo, which is 17th and in the last spot above the
relegation zone. AP