Juventus moves top of Serie A with 2-1 win over Cagliari
Juventus, which has been unbeaten in Serie A since the end of September, tops the standings with 29 points, one ahead of Inter Milan which hosts mid-table Frosinone on Sunday.
Published : Nov 12, 2023 08:23 IST , Turin - 2 MINS READ
Juventus’ Gleison Bremer celebrates scoring during the Serie A match between Juventus and Cagliari at the Juventus Stadium in Turin, Italy. | Photo Credit: Fabio Ferrari/ AP
Juventus moved top of the Serie A standings with a 2-1 home win over lowly Cagliari on Saturday as defenders Gleison Bremer and Daniele Rugani scored in the second half to secure a fifth consecutive victory for the side.
Juventus, which has been unbeaten in Serie A since the end of September, tops the standings with 29 points, one ahead of Inter Milan which hosts mid-table Frosinone on Sunday.
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“Fortunately (the goal we conceded) was irrelevant,” coach Massimiliano Allegri told DAZN.
“We need to be more effective in the last pass. The lads have an extraordinary spirit and they know that to bring home a win they have to play like this. Now we are more compact than at the beginning of the season.”
Neither side had a shot on target in the first half but Federico Chiesa had an early chance for Juventus after the break which was saved by Cagliari goalkeeper Simone Scuffet.
Juve had another opportunity through Filip Kostic but the Serbia midfielder’s shot from a tight angle was also stopped by Scuffet.
Bremer broke the deadlock on the hour mark with a towering header from a Kostic cross and Rugani doubled the lead 10 minutes later, bundling the ball in with his chest after hitting the bar following a corner.
Cagliari briefly silenced the Juventus Stadium when it pulled one back in the 75th minute through defender Alberto Dossena who nodded home from a corner.
After six consecutive clean sheets, Juventus conceded its first goal since the 4-2 loss at Sassuolo on September 23.
Juve hosts Inter in a top-of-the-table clash on November 26, following the international break.
“Inter are favourites for the Scudetto with AC Milan and Napoli a little behind,” Allegri added.
“They are a team that has been built for years to win the championship and this year they are the number one favourite. Today’s victory is useful for us to stretch the lead over those behind.”
Cagliari, which last weekend climbed out of the relegation zone with a 2-1 win over Genoa, is 17th on nine points.