Juventus leaves it late to end winless run
Juventus registered a first win in five Serie A games as Daniele Rugani’s stoppage-time finish secured a 3-2 victory over struggling Frosinone at Allianz Stadium.
In an eventful first half, Juve took an early lead through Dusan Vlahovic before the visitors made a stunning reply, going in front via Walid Cheddira’s header and a Marco Brescianini strike.
Vlahovic then brought things back level in the 32nd minute to take him to nine Serie A goals in seven appearances since the turn of the year, and 15 for the season.
It subsequently looked set to be another frustrating outing for Massimiliano Allegri’s men as they failed to add to that through the second half until Rugani popped up with a winner in the fifth minute of time added on at the end.
The result kept the pressure on leader Inter Milan, but not enought to stop it winning later in the day at Lecce with a thumping 4-0 victory.
Juve, eager to get back to winning ways, was swiftly in front when Weston McKennie laid the ball to Vlahovic from the right in the third minute and the Serbian’s deflected shot found the bottom corner.
But Frosinone, which had lost each of its past three games, hit back 11 minutes later with Cheddira heading in from Nadir Zortea’s cross.
After Vlahovic and Bremer missed with efforts on the away side’s goal, Eusebio Di Francesco’s side grabbed a second in the 27th minute as Brescianini received the ball from Abdou Harroui, took it into the area and fired past Wojciech Szczesny.
That shock lead lasted five minutes before Juve, having been forced into a substitution and withdrawing Adrien Rabiot for Charly Alacaraz, restored parity via another McKennie-Vlahovic combination, the latter collecting the former’s pass in the box and bending a shot beyond Michele Cerofolini.
Frosinone threatened again moments later with Brescianini fizzing a shot just over Szczesny’s bar.
Juve pressure in the opening stages of the second half saw Vlahovic head wide from close range, a Rugani strike diverted over off Alcaraz and Federico Chiesa’s shot deflect wide.
Vlahovic shot inches wide in the 74th minute, although the flag went up for offside, and when he fired over from a good position in the 90th minute, it seemed as if victory would elude the team once again.
However, Vlahovic then turned provider as Juve claimed all three points late on, with his header from a corner sending the ball to the far post, where Rugani put the ball through Cerofolini’s legs from a tight angle.
