Juventus 1 : 1 Chievo - Flying Donkeys bring Juve down to earth

Posted Saturday, March 03, 2012 by PA

Juventus stumbled in response to AC Milan's 4-0 win over Palermo earlier today by being held to a 1-1 draw at home to Chievo.

Paolo De Ceglie put the Bianconeri in front in the 18th minute, but they failed to build on their lead and were punished when Boukary Drame levelled for Chievo in the 76th minute.

The draw leaves Juve three points behind Milan with a game in hand, one which must now be won if Antonio Conte's side want to return to the Serie A summit next Wednesday.

De Ceglie missed a glorious chance to put Juve in front in the second minute when he tried to be a little too elaborate with just Stefano Sorrentino to beat from close range.

De Ceglie only had to wait a further 15 minutes to open his goal account in Serie A.

Andrea Pirlo's free-kick was headed against the post by Giorgio Chiellini and the ball rebounded back - against the arm of Sorrentino - to the Juve full-back, who headed it into the back of the net from close range.

The finish was from an offside position. However, the linesman's flag was not raised and the goal was allowed to stand.

Simone Padoin almost followed De Ceglie's example by opening his account for the club, but his 40th-minute shot was pushed wide by Sorrentino.

Juve tried to add a second goal which would have given them a bit of breathing space, but as the minutes passed, their lead began to look increasingly slender.

Davide Moscardelli fired the first warning in the 72nd minute when he headed just wide of Gianluigi Buffon's post.

Four minutes later, Drame's first Serie A goal brought the Flying Donkeys level with Leonardo Bonucci making a poor attempt to clear the ball off the line, slicing the goalbound effort into his own goal.

Alessandro Del Piero was sent on by Conte as a final throw of the dice and his claims for a penalty shortly after coming on were waved away.

The home side increased the pressure and Sorrentino did well to push Pirlo's speculative effort wide in stoppage time to preserve his side's point.