TURIN, Italy (BN24) – Juventus missed a key opportunity to climb to the top of the Serie A standings on Saturday, as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Atalanta in a result that keeps reigning champions Napoli in pole position.
In an intense match at the Allianz Stadium, substitute Juan Cabal salvaged a point for the visitors with a scrappy 78th-minute equalizer, his first goal in Serie A, shortly after replacing the injured Gleison Bremer. The draw maintains Juventus’ unbeaten start to the season but leaves them a point behind league leaders Napoli, who have won all four of their opening matches.
Kamaldeen Sulemana had earlier put Juventus in front during first-half stoppage time, netting his second goal in as many games with a powerful finish that gave the hosts a deserved lead after a dominant spell.
Atalanta, however, showed their resilience in the second half and gradually grew into the game. The breakthrough came when Odilon Kossounou failed to deal with a Joao Mario cross, and Cabal capitalized to level the score. The Bergamo club was forced to play the final 10 minutes with 10 men after Marten de Roon was shown a red card, but Juventus failed to take advantage.
The best chance for the Turin side to snatch victory came in the dying seconds when Weston McKennie found himself unmarked in front of goal but shot straight at Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi from close range. That crucial miss ensured the visitors escaped with a point and climbed to fifth in the standings, level on nine points with AC Milan and Inter Milan, among others.
“We played really well, especially in the first half, one of the best since I’ve been here,” said Atalanta coach Igor Tudor. “It was a tough match between two Champions League teams, and the draw was fair.”
Napoli remain top of the table with a perfect 12 points and will look to maintain their lead when they visit AC Milan on Sunday night.
Meanwhile, Inter Milan also remains firmly in the hunt. Lautaro Martinez and youngster Pio Esposito scored in a 2-0 win over Cagliari earlier on Saturday. Martinez’s early header marked his 117th Serie A goal, overtaking club legend Sandro Mazzola — while Esposito’s late strike sealed the win and opened his top-flight account.
“He works hard and listens,” said Martinez of his young teammate. “He still has a lot to learn, but he’s already proving himself.”
Elsewhere, newly promoted Cremonese continued their impressive start with a 1-1 draw at Como, staying unbeaten alongside Juventus, Napoli, and Atalanta. Federico Baschirotto cancelled out Nico Paz’s third goal of the season in a closely contested Lombardy derby.
With the title race already heating just weeks into the campaign, dropped points for Juventus serve as a reminder that every match could prove decisive in what promises to be another competitive Serie A season.
