Juventus played much of their match away at Lazio on Saturday night with just ten men, after goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was ejected in the first half of their clash in the capital. However, Fernando Llorente's equaliser on the hour cancelled out Antonio Candreva's opener, as the bianconeri came from behind to rescue a draw.
Lazio vs. Juventus: Final score 1-1, 10-man Juve come from behind to salvage a draw
Despite having Gianluigi Buffon sent off early in their clash with Lazio, Juventus eked out a draw.
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The game got off to a scrappy start, and fittingly, the first real chance of the game was even scrappier. Some dithering on the ball from Buffon allowed Miroslav Klose to pounce, though he never quite managed to bring the ball under control and slid it narrowly wide of the post.
Juventus started to dominate possession, though for all of their patient interchanges, they could never break Lazio down. The aquile’s defensive midfield was backed up by a terrific performance from their back three, meaning that it was in fact the hosts who looked most dangerous -- albeit on the counter-attack.
The bianconeri had been sliced open a couple of times before Buffon made his fateful intervention just under 25 minutes in; tripping Klose after the German had wriggled in behind. The veteran keeper was sent off and Lazio were awarded a penalty, which Juve old boy Antonio Candreva gleefully converted.
By the time the halftime whistle came around, Juve had only created one clear-cut chance in the entire game; Lazio stopper Etrat Berisha pulling off an excellent diving stop on Fernando Llorente with ten minutes of the half remaining. However, it’s testament to quite how strong this bianconeri team is that they were still very much in the ascendency.
Lazio couldn’t breathe easy at the break, and with good reason.
It took less than 15 minutes of the second half for ten-man Juve to find the equaliser, with Fernando Llorente leaping to head Stephan Lichtsteiner’s cross over Berisha and into the net. The biancocelesti had lost their first-half intensity, and paid the price.
The goal jolted a sleepy Lazio into action, and with 15 minutes remaining they created their best opportunity from open play of the entire match. A free-kick from the right was met by a classic Klose bullet header from point-blank range, though Juve's substitute stopper Marco Storari made an excellent save to tip the ball onto the bar.
The strength of their woodwork was tested again before the final whistle by substitute Keita Baldé Diao, with his curling effort from the edge of the area perilously close to creeping inside Storari's far post. Alas Lazio were made to settle for a point they'd likely have taken at the start of the game, but after having a man advantage for the vast majority of the game, they'll feel they ought to have come away with the victory.
Lazio: Berisha; Dias, Cana, Biava; Konko, Biglia, Ledesma, Cavanda (González 65’); Hernanes, Candreva (Keita Baldé 85’); Klose.
Goals: Candreva (pen. 27’).
Juventus: Buffon; Ogbonna, Bonucci, Barzagli; Asamoah (Storari 26’), Pogba, Marchisio, Vidal, Lichtsteiner; Tévez, Llorente.
Goals: Llorente (60’).
Red cards: Buffon (24’).
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