Juve, Udinese share lead after draws

25 September 2011 16:35

Turin giants Juventus share the Serie A lead with Udinese after both earned a point from away fixtures on Sunday while Genoa lost 2-1 at Chievo.

Juve are top on goals scored following a 1-1 draw at Catania while Udinese were held 0-0 away to Cagliari.

The visitors wasted a glorious late chance to win in rainy Sicily when Chile midfielder Arturo Vidal skied a chance from 15 yards with the goal at his mercy.

Juve fell behind midway through the first half as Alejandro Gomez crossed from the right and Gonzalo Bergessio got in front of his marker to turn it in at the near post.

Milos Krasic equalised for the visitors just four minutes after the restart with a shot from 20 yards that Mariano Andujar should have saved.

The Serbian winger had another opportunity after a mazy dribble but this time the goalkeeper was alert to the danger.

Udinese kept their unbeaten run going as they held on for a point in a largely uneventful game in Sardinia.

Earlier in the day Davide Moscardelli scored with a flying header with virtually the last touch of the game to knock 10-man Genoa off the Serie A summit.

Genoa had led the table on goals scored at the start of the day but now trail the two leaders by a point.

They took the lead through Argentine Rodrigo Palacio but succumbed to an equaliser from Sergio Pellissier before substitute Moscardelli's dramatic late intervention.

Pellissier also missed a penalty after Genoa had Dario Dainelli sent off for a foul on the forward inside the box.

Having beaten Napoli 1-0 at home in mid-week, it was the second game in a row Chievo had defeated the league leaders.

"It's true but that's just coincidence," said Chievo coach Domenico Di Carlo. "It was a great win against an excellent side and playing good football.

"Our lads believed right to the end. No-one let up, they were excellent. These are important points for our aim which is to stay up."

Genoa coach Alberto Malesani felt his team were too tired to hold on with 10 men.

"Without the sending off, I'm 99 percent certain we would have won this game," he said.

"Dainelli's red card was decisive. Unfortunately we were tired.

"I think Chievo deserved to win but my team were too tired to play with 10. Congratulations to them for believing right to the end but it's also a bit our fault."

Genoa took the lead three minutes into the second period as Cristobal Jorquera released Palacio, who held off Santiago Morero before finishing under Stefano Sorrentino.

It was former AC Milan-target Palacio's sixth goal of the season in all competitions.

But the game changed just before the hour mark as Pellissier got beyond the Genoa backline and then went down, although television replays failed to confirm whether or not there had been genuine contact him and Dainelli, who was given his marching orders.

However, Pellissier opted to take a one-step run-up to the ball and his penalty was weak, with Sebastien Frey plunging to his left to save one-handed.

But Pellissier made amends when he leapt highest to head home United States midfielder Michael Bradley's corner 16 minutes from time.

With just 15 seconds of added time left, Gennaro Sardo crossed from the right and Moscardelli directed a stooping header into the bottom corner.

Atalanta remain the only other undefeated team alongside Juve and Udinese after they won 2-0 at home to Novara.

Matias Schelotto opened the scoring with a header from Gianpaolo Bellini's cross and Luca Cigarini added the second with a rising shot from outside the box.

Atalanta would actually be two points clear at the top after three wins and a draw in their four games but for having started the season with a six-point penalty for match-fixing.

Source: AFP