Benevento 1-1 Juventus: 5 talking points as the Bianconeri drop points without Cristiano Ronaldo | Serie A 2020-21

Juventus drew their fifth Serie A game of the season against Benevento tonight.
Juventus drew their fifth Serie A game of the season against Benevento tonight.

Juventus were held to a 1-1 draw during their trip to Benevento as the hosts equalised in first-half stoppage time to cancel the reigning champions' one-goal lead.

Alvaro Morata broke the deadlock in the 21st minute but could not add a second goal to his name.

Andrea Pirlo's men gave up the chance to move into the Serie A top four after Paulo Dybala missed a couple of chances and failed to step up in the absence of their top-scorer, Cristiano Ronaldo.

The hosts managed to secure a hard-fought point from the game thanks to a marvellous finish by Gaetano Letizia in the dying moments of the first half. The visitors had plenty of shots on goal but lacked the finishing touch going forward.

Morata was shown a red card after the final whistle following an argument with the referee, which only made Juventus' disappointing night even worse.

Here, we take a look at the five talking points from the dull fixture as Juventus drop points for the fifth time this term.


#5 Juventus share the spoils for the fifth time in the nine games, as many as they did in the entirety of last season

In his first nine Serie A games, Andrea Pirlo has played out five draws.
In his first nine Serie A games, Andrea Pirlo has played out five draws.

Juventus continued their run of dropping points this season with yet another draw. The Old Lady have drawn five games in their first nine league outings since 2001-02. With just four wins this season (three, if we exclude the Napoli match forfeit), they could fall six points behind leaders AC Milan, who will play their game on Sunday.

In their title-winning campaign last season, Juventus were ahead of Inter Milan by just a point. This was because they dropped points only 12 times (five draws and seven losses) as compared to Inter who dropped points 14 times (10 draws and four losses).

The Serie A title race has been close for the last couple of seasons, and Juventus' tendency to drop points against clubs like Benevento, against whom they should pick up a win, could prove costly going forward.


#4 Benevento earn their first point against Juventus

Filippo Inzaghi secured a historical point against Juventus tonight for his club.
Filippo Inzaghi secured a historical point against Juventus tonight for his club.

Benevento gave Juventus a tough fight, and it would be criminal to overlook the efforts put in by Filippo Inzaghi's men on Saturday.

The draw at the Stadio Comunale Ciro Vigorito earned a historical point for the hosts as it was the first time they shared the spoils with the Bianconeri in Serie A.

It was a great result for the recently-promoted side, and they now remain four points off the drop zone. They are next scheduled to play Parma and could even secure three points from the fixture.

#3 Paulo Dybala continues to misfire this season

Benevento Calcio v Juventus - Serie A
Benevento Calcio v Juventus - Serie A

Paulo Dybala is yet to open his account for Juventus in Serie A this season and only has one goal to his name in the Champions League as well. The Argentine missed a couple of chances on Saturday, and his struggles in the final third continued in a game where he was supposed to step up.

His shot in the 25th minute rattled the post, and that was the closest he came to scoring a goal. In the 86th minute, when substitute Dejan Kulusevski found him free in the box with a beautiful pass, his first touch attempt was kept out by Lorenzo Montipo.

His attacking partner Morata showed intent and maturity in his performance. He was the one who was falling back and fighting for the ball but did not receive much support from Dybala.


#2 Cristiano Ronaldo's absence in the Juventus squad left a void too big to fill in the final third

Cristiano Ronaldo was rested for the game by Pirlo.
Cristiano Ronaldo was rested for the game by Pirlo.

Juventus struggled against Benevento without Cristiano Ronaldo. Although it wasn't that evident in the first half, they certainly missed his determination and pedigree after the break.

Ronaldo has scored more league goals for the Bianconeri than all of his teammates combined.

With only Morata, Kulusevski, Adrien Rabiot, Dybala and Leonardo Bonucci hitting the target for Juventus across all competitions apart from Ronaldo, it seems he can't be rested for even a single game.


#1 Alvaro Morata continues to impress but a silly red card keeps him out of next week's Turin Derby

Benevento Calcio v Juventus - Serie A
Benevento Calcio v Juventus - Serie A

Alvaro Morata scored for Juventus once again as he continued his fine form in front of goal. His goal helped them secure a lead in the 21st minute of the game but it didn't last long as Gaetano Letizia equalised at the stroke of half-time with a wonderful finish.

He was clearly upset over the fact that his side had to share a point with the hosts and subsequently got into a completely unnecessary argument with the official after the final whistle, earning him a straight red card.

The booking will keep him out of the crucial Turin derby next week and at a time when the team is already struggling with a depleted defence, the loss of their in-form striker could prove costly.

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