A 93rd-minute goal from Seko Fofana gave Udinese a shocking 2-1 victory over Juventus. The loss for Juventus means the defending Serie A champions will have to wait to secure a 36th Scudetto. A victory against Udinese would have all but secured the title.
Juventus took the lead initially in this match when Matias de Ligt fired home a goal into the bottom corner in the 42nd minute. Udinese stormed back in the second half to score two goals. Illja Nestorovski headed home a 52nd-minute header which drew the hosts level and paved the way for Fofana’s stoppage-time winner.
Udinese Stun Juventus in Second-Half Stoppage Time
Missed Opportunities to Wrap Up the Title
The last five Serie A matches have not gone the way Juventus would have hoped for. Only one victory has come and they have had trouble closing out matches. The second half has been especially troublesome for them. In the last five matches, Juventus have conceded ten second half goals.
Thursday night’s defeat to Udinese was the latest case of failing to close out a result late in the match. Just two weeks prior, the 4-2 loss to AC Milan saw Juventus concede four goals in a span of 18 minutes that started in the 62nd minute. Against Atalanta, they needed a late penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo to earn them a point after they conceded an 80th-minute goal. Four days later it was a similar story when Sassuolo scored two goals in quick succession in the 51st and 54th minutes. Alex Sandro’s 64th minute goal would save them and lead to a 3-3 draw.
This recent run of form is a cause for concern as the UEFA Champions League fixtures near. Juventus have not looked like a side capable of reaching the Champions League final in recent weeks.
Fofana Moves Udinese Closer to Safety
Udinese entered this match four points ahead of 18th-place Lecce. Relegation was still a possibility and the three points against Juventus could not have come at a better time. They were not expected to take away any points from this fixture but they were able to shock the Serie A leaders and pull off the unthinkable.
Fofana’s late winner will no doubt be one of the highlights of the season for Udinese. It might just prove to be the goal that allowed Udinese to avoid relegation. All they need to do is win one more match or if Lecce loses any of their remaining three matches then they will stay up. Lecce and Udinese will meet once more this season on Matchday 37 that has the potential to be a pivotal match depending on how the results over the weekend go.
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