Serie A | Salernitana 1-2 Juventus: Vlahovic completes comeback

Originally posted on Football Italia | By Susy Campanale | Last updated Jan 7, 2024 1:59 PM ET

Juventus came back to beat 10-man Salernitana in stoppages with Samuel Iling Junior and a Dusan Vlahovic header, as Giulio Maggiore was hero and villain.

These sides already met on Thursday in the Coppa Italia, with the Bianconeri running out 6-1 winners in Turin. Federico Chiesa, Moise Kean, Andrea Cambiaso, Alex Sandro, Mattia De Sciglio and suspended Manuel Locatelli missed this trip. The hosts had Boulaye Dia, Lassana Coulibaly and Jovane at the Africa Cup of Nations, with Lorenzo Pirola, Emil Bohinen and Grigoris Kastanos injured.

Kenan Yildiz had timid penalty appeals rejected in the opening minute and Weston McKennie forced a tough one-handed save from Benoit Costil, although he had also pushed his marker on that short corner.

Federico Fazio twice got decisive glancing headers to prevent tap-ins from Danilo and Gleison Bremer on set plays, while Hans Nicolussi Caviglia’s strike was accidentally charged down by teammates Timothy Weah and Dusan Vlahovic.

However, Salernitana broke the deadlock with a sensational counter-attack, as it was laid off by Loum Tchaouna to the edge of the area for Giulio Maggiore to take a touch with his right foot and bend it into the far top corner with the inside of the left boot.

Juve made two changes at the break and should’ve equalised when McKennie somehow turned the diving header wide from three yards on an Adrien Rabiot cross.

Vlahovic also had penalty appeals for a Norbert Gyomber nudge, but above all Maggiore received a second yellow card for bringing down Rabiot on the attack just outside the penalty area, reducing Salernitana to 10 men.

A Vlahovic shot on the turn was deflected wide and Arkadiusz Milik’s strike was straight at Benoit Costil, but Juve did get their equaliser with the substitute.

Weah’s pull-back from the by-line was scuffed horribly by Vlahovic, but it turned into an accidental assist for Samuel Iling Junior at the back post to blast into the roof of the net.

However, 10-man Salernitana did not give in and moments later Wojciech Szczesny flew to palm away a Domagoj Bradaric scorcher from distance. Nwankwo Simy then got away from Danilo to prod a Candreva cross just wide at the back post.

Juventus finally restored their lead 10 seconds into stoppages, when Danilo intercepted a pass and immediately whipped a cross from the right for the towering Vlahovic header.

Salernitana 1-2 Juventus

Maggiore 39 (S), Iling Junior 65 (J), Vlahovic 91 (J)

Sent off: Maggiore 54 (S)

07-01-2024 17:00 MatchDay 19 Stadio Arechi

Salernitana

Juventus 1 - 2