Juventus were held to a goalless draw by AS Roma on Sunday, marking the end of Thiago Motta’s perfect start as coach of the Serie A giants. The match, played at Juventus’ Allianz Stadium, was marked by a lack of decisive moments and goalmouth action, leaving Juve with seven points from their first three matches of the new campaign.
Motta’s team, who had started the season with two impressive three-goal victories, failed to replicate that attacking prowess against Roma. The performance was a far cry from their earlier showings and left them trailing behind Inter Milan, the league leaders, on goal difference. Despite the setback, Motta remained optimistic about his team’s progress.
“It was an even match and the right result,” Motta told Sky Sport after the game. “We’re only on our third game and today we played a team which is hard to play against, with a good coach and good players. There are lots of things we can improve. It’s very early in the season, let’s see where we are at the business end of the season; for now, it’s too early to talk about our objectives for the season.”
The match was a relatively uneventful affair with both teams struggling to create clear-cut chances. Juventus dominated possession but failed to capitalize on their opportunities, while Roma’s defensive resilience kept the home side at bay. Roma, who traditionally find it difficult to secure positive results at Juventus, managed to thwart the hosts’ attacking efforts through disciplined defending and strategic play.
Roma’s coach, Daniele De Rossi, was relieved to secure a point, especially after a tough start to the season. “We’re under a lot of pressure right now and it was important to get away from here with a point,” said De Rossi. “This is a good starting point. It wasn’t the best performance as we could have done better with the ball, but Juve brought on some brilliant players in the second half and we held out.”
Roma’s closest attempt at scoring came in the final minute when full-back Angelino unleashed a speculative long-range shot that narrowly missed the target. The lack of attacking intensity from both sides meant that the game ended in a goalless draw, reflecting the overall balance of play.
The result allowed Roma to regroup during the upcoming international break after a difficult opening fortnight. De Rossi’s side showed a level of defensive discipline that had been lacking in their previous fixtures, but their attacking output was minimal, failing to challenge Juventus’ defense consistently.
In other Serie A action on Sunday, Fiorentina staged a dramatic comeback to draw 2-2 with Bologna. Moise Kean and debutant Robin Gosens were the heroes for Fiorentina, with Gosens scoring the equalizer in the sixth minute of stoppage time. The thrilling finish provided some excitement amid a day of otherwise lackluster performances.
Meanwhile, Como faced a narrow 1-0 defeat at the hands of Udinese, who are now one of four teams tied with Inter Milan at the top of the league. Como’s Patrick Cutrone missed a crucial stoppage-time penalty, which could have salvaged a point for the promoted side, leaving them bottom of the table with only one point from their opening matches.
As the Serie A season progresses, teams like Juventus and Roma will look to build momentum and improve their performances. For now, Juventus will be reflecting on their missed opportunities and aiming to bounce back in their upcoming fixtures, while Roma will take solace in their defensive solidity and the valuable point earned away from home.
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