Juventus, under the stewardship of new manager Thiago Motta, encountered its first stumbling block in the Serie A campaign, being held to a goalless draw by visiting AS Roma on Sunday. This result brought an end to Juventus’s perfect start to the season, following back-to-back 3-0 victories against Como and Hellas Verona. Despite the draw, Juventus remains comfortably positioned in second place in the standings, level on seven points with league leaders Inter Milan, as well as Torino and Udinese.
The match started with both teams displaying initial promise but soon found themselves grappling with errors that hindered their ability to create clear-cut chances. The most significant opportunity of the game arose just before the break when Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic, with a first-touch effort from around the penalty spot, saw his shot expertly saved by Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar. This attempt proved to be Juventus’s only shot on target throughout the entire match, while Roma displayed resilience in holding the hosts at bay.
Seeking to inject fresh impetus into the game, Motta made two offensive substitutions at half-time. Teun Koopmeiners, a new signing making his debut, was introduced alongside striker Francisco Conceicao. Meanwhile, Roma coach Daniele De Rossi responded with substitutions of his own after the hour mark, replacing midfielder Matias Soule with striker Paulo Dybala and Alexis Saelemaekers with Nicola Zalewski.
The match gained intensity in the closing minutes as both sides desperately sought a late winner. Roma came closest when Angelino’s long-range effort narrowly missed the target, while Juventus’s Kenan Yildiz sent his attempt over the bar in stoppage time.
This draw saw Roma move out of the relegation zone to 17th place with two points. The result follows a goalless draw at Cagliari and last week’s 2-1 home loss to Empoli. This is the second time in Roma’s history that they have failed to win any of their first three Serie A games in consecutive seasons, the first instance occurring between 2010-11 and 2011-12.
Juventus will next travel to Empoli after the international break before returning to the Champions League, after a year’s absence, with a home fixture against PSV Eindhoven on September 17. Roma’s next match sees them visit 10th-placed Genoa.
