Late Penalty Drama Ensures Draw Between Juventus and Cagliari

MILAN (AP) — Juventus experienced another tumultuous day on the pitch as they were held to a 1-1 draw against Cagliari, courtesy of a late penalty by Razvan Marin. The Serie A match took place at the Allianz Stadium in Turin on Sunday, October 6, 2024.

This match marked the first time this season that Juventus had conceded a goal in the league. To compound their disappointment, winger Francisco Conceição was sent off shortly after the equalizer following a second yellow card for simulation.

The game followed a dramatic week for Juventus, both on and off the field. Earlier in the week, the team had staged a stunning comeback from 2-1 down, despite being reduced to 10 men, to secure a Champions League victory. Meanwhile, much of the pre-match discussion revolved around midfielder Paul Pogba‘s ongoing suspension for doping, which was extended on Friday. Sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli appeared reluctant to reinstate the World Cup-winning midfielder anytime soon, though Pogba was present in the stands watching his team.

Juventus took the lead 15 minutes into the match when Dusan Vlahovic converted a penalty awarded due to Cagliari defender Sebastiano Luperto‘s handball. The Juventus players then celebrated the goal by displaying Gleison Bremer’s shirt, acknowledging their teammate’s serious midweek injury.

As Juventus seemed poised for victory, an unfortunate twist unfolded when Bianconeri midfielder Douglas Luiz collided with Cagliari’s Roberto Piccoli, resulting in a penalty for the visitors. Cagliari’s Razvan Marin successfully converted the spot-kick to level the match in the 88th minute. Moments later, Conceição was dismissed following his dive in the penalty area under pressure from Adam Obert.

The late phases of the game saw Cagliari almost snatching a win when Obert’s effort struck the post in stoppage time. Despite the setback, Juventus remains one of the two unbeaten teams in Serie A, alongside Empoli, who were scheduled to play against an in-form Lazio later that day. Meanwhile, other Serie A teams, Roma and AC Milan, were set to face off against Monza and Fiorentina, respectively.