Juventus' recent match against Venezia on December 14 ended in disappointment as the home team could only manage a 2-2 draw at the Allianz Stadium. This result left many fans frustrated, especially following their impressive performance just three days earlier, when they defeated Manchester City 2-0. The league's bottom team was not expected to pose much challenge, yet Juventus found themselves struggling to convert their early advantage.
The game kicked off energetically for Juventus, who capitalized early when Federico Gatti scored the opener just 19 minutes in. After receiving a corner from Toon Koopmeiners, Gatti found the net with well-placed execution, giving the home crowd something to cheer about as they led 1-0. The Bianconeri enjoyed substantial possession and looked to dictate the game's tempo.
Despite their promising start, Juventus faced pressure from Venezia. A scare came when Magnus Kofor Andersen rattled the crossbar with his shot after connecting with Gaetano Olistranio's setup. Fortunately for Juventus, they escaped without conceding, taking the 1-0 lead to the half-time break.
Yet, the second half proved challenging when Venezia equalized shortly after play resumed. The visitors leveled the score with Yurdus' header, causing the momentum to shift. Juventus attempted to regain control, but they faltered as the game progressed. With less than ten minutes remaining, Venezia turned the tide and shocked the home fans by taking the lead. Indonesian defender Jay Itses scored with his header, marking the visitors’ unexpected ascendancy at 2-1.
Frantic scenes unfolded as Juventus desperately sought to bounce back and avoid yet another disappointing result. The match seemed on the verge of slipping away when Francisco Conceição finally brought some hope to the hosts. After firing his shot, the ball struck Venezia's defender's arm, leading to the awarding of a penalty. Dusan Vlahovic stepped up to the spot, delivering calmly to restore parity at 2-2 with just minutes left on the clock.
Despite salvaging some pride with the equalizer, it was evident to the thousands of supporters packed inside the Allianz Stadium and to the players, such as Vlahovic, back from injury, this was not the result they had hoped for against the league's last-place team.
Post-match analysis from Thiago Motta revealed the team’s internal issues, with Motta expressing frustration about the performance and the inability to maintain leads, stating, "We need to improve on this; we often managed leads well before, but recently we haven’t. What’s important is to close out the match and not allow the opponent back on the front foot." Despite being suspended for this match, Motta conveyed his thoughts through his assistant, Alexandre Uger, who took charge during the match.
The fans expressed their discontent during and after the match, showing emotion and frustration. Concerning the tension between Dusan Vlahovic and fans, Motta commented on the emotional response, saying, "Fans have the right to express themselves. We share the same goal to win, and the players are just as eager to change this situation. It’s important for us to unite as we strive for improvement."
This matchup has highlighted Juventus’ pressing issues. Currently unable to build instead of merely maintaining leads, they also face questions about the overall consistency of their performances. Facing criticism from former players and analysts alike—Sky's Giancarlo Marrochi pointed out the challenges of expecting players like Weston McKennie to perform tasks outside their defined roles—Juventus must face the reality of their current state.
The team’s struggle to secure wins has resulted in the unfortunate record of six victories and ten draws by this point, marking the lowest win total for Juventus by this stage of the season since the turn of the century, according to Opta. Nevertheless, they remain the only unbeaten team in Serie A, which is perhaps the only silver lining as they contend with their mounting frustrations and the pressure to improve moving forward.
With this draw against Venezia and continued inconsistency, Juventus finds themselves needing to address both their internal friction and tactical approaches as the Serie A season continues.
