12 February 2024
Juventus suffered a second consecutive defeat in Serie A after Udinese edged out the Bianconeri at the Allianz Stadium.
The game's only goal was scored by Lautaro Giannetti after 25 minutes.
Akadiusz Milik did put the ball in the net with an hour played but his header was chalked off as the cross from the lead-up corner had gone out of play.
THE MATCH
The opening exchanges set the pattern for the remainder of the game with Udinese content to sit deep and invite Juventus to break down their defensive line.
Federico Chiesa, on his first start of 2024, called on Maduka Okoye to make a save with a shot from the edge of the area in the opening minutes.
Federico Gatti, Adrien Rabiot and Andrea Cambiaso would also try their luck from distance, with Rabiot’s the only effort on target, forcing the Udinese goalkeeper to parry away the danger.
The deadlock was broken on 25 minutes.
The visitors earned a free-kick outside the penalty area. A flick-on from Thomas Kristensen broke off Alex Sandro at the edge of the six yard box into the path of Lautaro Giannetti, who had the easy task of slotting his shot into the unguarded net.
Juve came close to a first-half equaliser with three minutes to play. Bremer picked out Alex Sandro, who delivered a precise cross that was met by Arkadiusz Milik. The striker’s header was kept out by a reflex save from Okoye.
In the second period, Milik did put the ball into the net, from another close-range header. Rabiot had picked out the number 14 from a corner. Chiesa's cross, however, had gone out of play before it reached the penalty area, so the goal was disallowed.
The Bianconeri were granted plenty of possession but even the substitutions, including the first team debut of Leonardo Cerri, could not turn the game in the home side's favour.
The closest they came to an equaliser arrived with nine minutes remaining. An inviting cross from Andrea Cambiaso picked out Kenan Yildiz on the run at the edge of the six-yard box, but the teenager just failed to make contact to knock the ball goalwards.
The final whistle after four minutes of time added on condemned Juve to a first loss at home to Udinese since 2015.
JUVENTUS 0-1 UDINESE (HT: 0-1)
Scorers: 24′ Giannetti
JUVENTUS: Szczęsny; Gatti, Bremer, Alex Sandro; Weah (60′ Yildiz), McKennie, Locatelli (76′ Nicolussi C.), Rabiot, Cambiaso (83′ Cerri); Milik, Chiesa (76′ Iling Jr). Subs not used: Pinsoglio, Scaglia, Rugani, Djalo, Kostić, Miretti, Alcaraz, Nonge. Coach: Allegri.
UDINESE: Okoye; Perez, Giannetti, Kristensen; Ehizibue (64′ Joao Ferreira), Lovric, Walace, Samarzdic, Zemura (64′ Ebosele); Thauvin (76′ Brenner); Lucca (76′ Success). Subs not used: Silvestri, Padelli, Zarraga, Davis, Kamara, Tikvic, Kabasele, Payero. Coach: Sottil.
Referee: Abisso
Bookings: 9′ Ehizibue, 37′ Bremer, 73′ Gatti, 81′ Walace, 88′ Success , 91′ Nicolussi Caviglia
