10-men Juventus held to a draw by Lazio as Serie A title race heats up

Business Standard

11-05-2025

The race for fourth place in Serie A keeps getting tighter and if Juventus fails to qualify for next season's Champions League, defender Pierre Kalulu might shoulder significant blame.
Lazio snatched a 1-1 draw against Juventus, one of its direct rivals for fourth spot, on Saturday. The match changed on the hour mark when Kalulu was sent off for hitting an opponent while his team led 1-0.
Fourth-placed Juventus remained level on points with Lazio, above the capital team thanks to a better head-to-head record.
Roma is only a point behind and visits third-placed Atalanta on Monday. Bologna was a point further back following Friday's loss to AC Milan and could be joined on points if Fiorentina wins at Venezia on Monday.
There are two rounds remaining.
Juventus broke the deadlock six minutes after the break when Weston McKennie floated in a cross from the left for an unmarked Randal Kolo Muani to head in from close range.
However, just nine minutes later, Kalulu was sent off after video review. He hit Taty Castellanos on the back of the shoulder, although the Lazio forward fell clutching his face.
Lazio leveled in the sixth minute of stoppage time. Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio pulled off another fine save to keep out Castellanos' header but he couldn't stop Matas Vecino's follow-up from point-blank range. Lazio and the Stadio Olimpico celebrated wildly.
FIRST WIN FOR EMPOLI Empoli recorded its first win of 2025 and it could prove to be the most crucial, as it beat 10-man Parma 2-1 in a relegation battle to move out of the bottom three.
Jacopo Fazzini swept a corner kick into the roof of the net in the 11th minute and matters appeared to be going the Tuscan team's way even more when Parma was reduced to 10 men in the 31st.
Defender Lautaro Valenti, who needlessly earned himself a yellow card nine minutes earlier for slapping an opponent on the leg after being tripped, was even more foolish in receiving a second booking for dragging back another player by the jersey.
Milan Duric managed to bundle in a surprise equalizer for the 10 men of Parma in the 73rd but Tino Anjorin curled into the top right corner four minutes from time to secure Empoli's first win in five months.
Empoli moved a point above Lecce, which visits Hellas Verona on Sunday. Parma was only five points above the relegation zone.
PEPE REINA HOWLER Como recovered from from a huge mistake from its goalkeeper to beat Cagliari 3-1.
It was a sixth straight win for Cesc Fabregas' team, which had already secured Serie A safety. Cagliari will have to wait a little longer as it was six points above the relegation zone, with most of the teams below it still to play this weekend.
Cagliari took the lead in the 20th when Pepe Reina allowed Michel Adopo's shot to squirm under his body.
Como's Maxence Caqueret leveled in the 40th and Gabriel Strefezza fired the hosts in front in stoppages. Patrick Cutrone sealed the result on his 100th appearance for Como.