Juventus have slipped out of Serie A’s Champions League qualification spots following a surprise 1-0 defeat to relegation-threatened Parma on Wednesday. The match was one of four rescheduled fixtures from Monday, postponed after the death of Pope Francis.
Mateo Pellegrino’s powerful header just before half-time sealed a crucial victory for Parma, who had gone two months without a win. The result lifts them six points above the relegation zone and significantly dents Juve’s top-four ambitions.
It was the first defeat under new manager Igor Tudor, leaving Juventus in fifth place, one point adrift of Bologna, who leapfrogged them after a statement win over Inter Milan last weekend.
Tudor’s woes were compounded by an apparent thigh injury to star striker Dusan Vlahovic, who was taken off at halftime and is now a doubt for Sunday’s clash with Monza.
The loss opened the door for Lazio to draw level with Juventus on 59 points after a convincing 2-0 win at Genoa. The match, which ended with both teams reduced to 10 men, saw Lazio capitalize on an early red card for Genoa debutant Sebastian Otoa. Goals from Valentin Castellanos and Boulaye Dia secured the points, despite a later dismissal for Reda Belahyane.
Fiorentina also tightened the race for Champions League places with a 2-1 comeback win at Cagliari. They now sit eighth but just four points behind fourth-placed Bologna, joining Juventus, Lazio, and Roma in a tight contest for the final Champions League spot.
