'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Lazio became the latest team to take points off Juventus in the Serie A this season after the hosts conjured a last-gasp equaliser against the stuttering reigning champions.
Felipe Caicedo was the hero for Lazio once again, cancelling out Cristiano Ronaldo's opener for the Bianconeri with virtually the last kick of the game. The player had also helped Lazio salvage a share of the spoils in a 1-1 draw in the Champions League at Zenit St. Petersburg a few days earlier. Earlier in the season, Caicedo had scored two goals deep in injury time, as Lazio won a seven-goal thriller at Torino.
Juventus opened the scoring in the 15th minute after Juan Cuadrado raced down the right-wing and squared a ball for Cristiano Ronaldo to stick a leg out and score from close range. Lazio had a couple of half-chances, but it was Juventus who dominated, with Ronaldo also striking the post before the break.
There were more chances for Juventus, but as the game reached its finale, Lazio amped up the pressure, and it paid off in injury time. Joaquin Correa weaved his way into the box and set up substitute Caicedo, who turned and placed a gorgeous finish past Wojciech Szczesny into the bottom corner to spark scenes of huge celebration in the Lazio dugout.
On that note, here are the five major talking points from the game:
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo was key for Juventus yet again
The 2020-21 Serie A season seems to be one for the veterans, as Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have grabbed all the scoring records.
Cristiano Ronaldo is yet to have a game for Juventus in the 2020-21 season where he has not been involved in a goal; Ronaldo has scored six goals and two assists across five games for the Bianconeri this season.
Juventus' Portuguese talisman could have scored more than the one goal he managed against Lazio. He hit the woodwork instead of the top corner with a shot from the edge of the box in the first half and also forced Pepe Reina into a couple of great saves as the game went on.
Such has been Ronaldo's impact at Juventus this season that when he showed a hint of an ankle injury after a clash with Luis Alberto, a risk-averse Andrea Pirlo substituted his star player immediately.
#4 Ciro Immobile was a huge miss for Lazio
Lazio have the spectre of sanctions casting a shadow off the pitch after they were rumoured to have used players who had positive COVID-19 tests. One of these was Ciro Immobile, who was sorely missed against Juventus, with Lazio looking quite blunt in attack with last season's Capocannoniere winner.
It's not as if Lazio were particularly poor going forward - Joaquin Correa had a good game by all accounts. Yet Immobile's knack of turning half-chances into goals was sorely missed. Vedat Muriqi tried his best, but Ciro Immobile he is not.
Felipe Caicedo bailed out Simone Inzaghi yet again, but the gaffer cannot count on that to happen every game as Lazio aim for the top echelons of Serie A.
#3 Paulo Dybala continues his indifferent recent form for Juventus
It's no secret that Paulo Dybala has looked a pale shadow of his former self after his recovery from COVID-19. The Juventus player was Serie A's MVP last season, but for that scenario to repeat again this season, it might need an almighty miracle.
Alvaro Morata and Cristiano Ronaldo were quite the strike partnership against Lazio, with the Spaniard dovetailing well with his illustrious Portuguese teammate throughout the match. The duo look miles ahead of Dybala at the moment, and with Dejan Kulusevski also able to play in the front two, it's not hyperbole to claim that Dybala's immediate future at Juventus looks uncertain.
The player did not help his cause with an abject cameo appearance. He gave away the ball multiple times, the last of which resulted in the throw that led to Lazio's late equaliser. Perhaps Dybala's move to Manchester United may yet happen.
#2 Andrea Pirlo almost finds the right balance
It's only been a few months into Andrea Pirlo's reign as Juventus manager, but what seems incredible is that the Bianconeri have yet to keep a clean sheet in Serie A since their opening-day win over Sampdoria (putting aside the default 3-0 win awarded after Napoli's no-show).
Yet, Pirlo was ever so close to finding the right balance between attack and defence against Lazio. Adrien Rabiot was superb while leading the charge from midfield. With a formation that rotated between a 3-5-2 and 4-4-2, Juventus looked comfortable for most of the game.
Pirlo can hardly be held culpable for Lazio's last-gasp equaliser, but he will be nonetheless disappointed. Yet, there are positives galore to take from the Bianconeri's performance in Rome, if not the result itself.
#1 Juventus failed to close the gap on league leaders AC Milan
Juventus were a point behind AC Milan right until Felipe Caicedo's shot nestled in the back of the Bianconeri net. Yes, Milan do have a game in hand, but the psychological benefit of knowing that there's a three-point gap cannot be overstated.
Yes, it's early days in the 2020-21 Serie A season, but with plenty of games producing shock results already, a draw between the two title challengers could not have come at a more opportune moment for Milan.
Juventus do have the know-how and experience of overcoming a minuscule gap such as this one, but with a greenhorn manager in charge, other teams would fancy their chances of upsetting the Juventus applecart and their near decade-long dominance.
Lazio may perhaps find it a bridge too far; they are ninth in the table. Simone Inzaghi's men have looked pretty inconsistent all season, and they were honestly lucky to come away with a point against the defending champions.
