Parma Hands Igor Tudor His First Juventus Defeat To Further Complicate The Top Four Race

Written By Onyeka Daniel

After just three matches, it looks like the holiday is finally over for Igor Tudor at Juventus after he was handed his first loss thank to a Mateo Pellegrino goal in a rescheduled Serie A fixture from Week 33.

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The game was originally meant to be played on Monday, but it was postponed after the death of Pope Francis, hence the team returned to Turin on Monday and flew back to Parma this morning. Dusan Vlahovic and Randal Kolo Muani started the game for the Bianconeri, with Kenan Yildiz not fully fit and available from the bench.

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Vlahovic had one of the best chances in the game, but his close-range attempt from a tight position was wide of the near post. The Old Lady dominated possession but was unable to break down the Ducali’s low block, and Pellegrino shocked the visitors minutes before the halftime break with a towering header from an Emanuele Valenti cross.

Vlahovic was subbed off at halftime due to a thigh injury, making room for Francisco Conceiçao. The Serbian forward was subbed off not for a tactical reason and according to DAZN, he suffered a thigh injury. For Conceiçao his replacement, the Portuguese was lively, but Juventus still struggled to create consistent goal-scoring opportunities.

Yildiz was also introduced in the second half, replacing Weston McKennie. The home side were once again dangerous on a counter-attack, but Simon Sohm’s shot from inside the box was weak and easily saved by Michele Di Gregorio. Juventus tried to put some crosses in during the final minutes, but Parma easily won aerial duels, and Suzuki was also confident when claiming the ball.

With a top four finish now hanging in the balance, it looks like the future is far from certain for the Croatian manager. Earlier before kickoff, the club director, Cristiano Giuntoli had insisted that the hope is to retain Tudor for the 2025-26 season, but will make a final decision only after the Club World Cup.

“The latest results have may have raised the Champions League quota, but we need to focus on ourselves and win this game to reach our target,” Giuntoli told DAZN before kickoff of the match. “We’ve been very cautious, giving intensity, but without exaggerating the volumes,” Giuntoli explained.

“Surely there was a bit of unease, like the others, but we must only think about putting in a strong performance to take all three points.” Tudor’s contract will expire in July, as Juventus will participate in the Club World Cup this summer. “We’ve been clear from the beginning. The hope is to stay together, but it’s a decision we’ll take after the Club World Cup,” Giuntoli said. A few players, including Randal Kolo Muani and Renato Veiga, are on loan until the end of the season.

Juventus on their part hope to stick with them for the Club World Cup, which will be played from mid-June to mid-July. “We are talking with their clubs, and we count on the players’ will,” Giuntoli explained. “These decisions will be taken at the end of the season. We are talking, and we hope to find a suitable solution.” He further added.

Meanwhile, Lazio’s 2-0 win over Genoa at Marassi in the other fixture has allowed them to catch Juventus in fifth, while Fiorentina came back from behind, claiming a 2-1 away win at Cagliari.Juve failed to overtake Bologna in fourth, but Lazio caught the Bianconeri in fifth with a convincing 2-0 win away.

The Rossoblu defender, Sebastian Otoa, was given a straight red card after just 21 minutes, as he denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity to Mattia Zaccagni. Lazio made the most of their advantage and took the lead thanks to a stunning Taty Castellanos’ volley before the break.His strike partner Boulaye Dia completed the job in the second half, and Lazio took all three points.

They also kept a clean sheet despite another straight red to their midfielder Reda Belahyane, who had been introduced from the bench. For Fiorentina, they didn’t start well as Roberto Piccoli broke the deadlock, making the most of a ball mismanaged by David De Gea, but Robin Gosens levelled the score in the first half, while Lucas Beltran secured all three points for the Tuscans after the break with a fine header from a Dodo assist.

Read Also: Italian Serie A, 31st Round: Top 10 Goals Of The Week

Lastly, Torino gave Udinese their fourth consecutive defeat, securing a 2-0 win with goals from Ché Adams, his ninth this season, and Ali Dembélé, who scored for the first time in Italy’s top flight. With these results, the gap between Bologna in fourth and Fiorentina in seventh is just six points with five games left to be played until the end of the season.

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