Juventus and Fiorentina drew 2-2 on Sunday as the Serie A match was interrupted after seven minutes following racist insults from the stands aimed at home striker Dusan Vlahovic. Earlier, Napoli edged past struggling Venezia 1-0 to move level on points with leaders Atalanta. In Turin, a Khephren Thuram double was cancelled out first by Fiorentina’s Moise Kean and then late on by Riccardo Sottil. “I don’t believe in bad luck,” Juventus coach Thiago Motta told Sky Sport Italia after his side’s 11th draw in 18 league outings this term.
“We should have killed off the game and don’t leave a chance to the opponent. I don’t believe in bad luck. I believe in merit.”
But the match was overshadowed inside the first 10 minutes when referee Maurizio Mariani called over the two captains to tell them he was stopping play while an appeal over the tannoy at the Allianz Stadium called on fans to cut out racist chants.
The two teams then gathered in the centre circle, before the match resumed.
Broadcaster DAZN reported that Fiorentina fans hurled insults in the direction of their former player Vlahovic, who is Serbian.
Since leaving Fiorentina, his club from 2018 to 2022, Vlahovic, 24, has been targeted by fans of the Viola.
In November 2023, Fiorentina were given a suspended one-match ban for chants directed at three Juventus players, including Vlahovic.
Juventus midfielder Thuram opened the scoring after play restarted with a 20th-minute strike. It was the first goal scored by the son of former Juventus and France international Lilian Thuram since he joined the Old Lady in the close-season.
Former Juventus forward Kean levelled on 38 minutes before Thuram doubled up three minutes after half-time.
The hosts looked set to leapfrog their fifth-placed opponents but Sottil struck in the 87th minute to ensure both sides remain level on 32 points.
– ‘Definitely happy’ –
Earlier, Romelu Lukaku wasted a chance to put Napoli ahead in the 37th minute from the penalty spot. His effort was saved by visiting goalkeeper Filip Stankovic.
Giacomo Raspadori decided the match with his first goal of the season after 79 minutes, slotting home a loose ball after Venezia failed to clear.
Napoli’s third-straight victory brought them level with Atalanta, who drew with Lazio on Saturday, and have a superior goal difference.
“Totalling 41 points after 18 matches, nobody, even the most optimistic, thought we could do it at the start of the season, but we still have to improve, we’re a developing team,” said Napoli coach Antonio Conte.
“I am definitely happy, because this is a team that is growing,” Conte said. “If we could score a few more goals, we would all be calmer, more peaceful and less likely to have heart attacks.”
Inter Milan, 3-0 winners at Cagliari on Saturday, are third, one point behind the leading duo but with a game in hand.
Napoli can move into sole possession of the lead next weekend when they face Fiorentina, while Atalanta and Inter face each other in the Italian Supercup in Saudi Arabia.
Paulo Dybala‘s crisp right-footed volley earned Roma a 1-1 draw at AC Milan in Sunday’s final match.
The Argentinian’s 23rd-minute strike came seven minutes after Tijjani Reijnders had opened the scoring for Milan following a flowing counter-attack.
Claudio Ranieri’s Roma are 10th on 20 points, seven behind eighth-placed Milan.
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