Vlahovic scores added-time winner as Juventus come from behind to beat Salernitana
These two sides faced each other just three days ago in the Coppa Italia, with the Old Lady recording a 6-1 thrashing in Turin despite falling behind in the first minute.
They seemed determined not to start similarly slowly here as tempers flared when Kenan Yildiz took a tumble in the Salernitana box with Flavius Daniliuc breathing down his neck.
No penalty was given, and Danilo soon saw a header diverted behind crucially by home captain Federico Fazio before Yildıiz was again left incensed about not getting a spot-kick, going down after Giulio Maggiore put an arm across him.
Fazio was proving instrumental in keeping alive the Granata’s hopes of back-to-back clean sheets for the first time since March, flicking a header away from the arriving Gleison Bremer following another tantalising delivery from Hans Nicolussi Caviglia, who spent time on loan at Salernitana last season.
He may have been wishing he was still there when Filippo Inzaghi’s men took the lead on 39 minutes.
Norbert Gyomber's raking pass found Junior Sambia on the right, and he cut the ball back to Loum Tchaouna, who squared for Maggiore to score his first Serie A goal for his current employers, taking a touch with his right foot before sweeping in majestically with his left just inside Juve’s area.
The visitors should have levelled after half time when Adrien Rabiot’s clipped cross found the unmarked Weston McKennie, but the midfielder’s header went past the far post from point-blank range.
Gyomber was then lucky not to concede a penalty as he nudged over Dusan Vlahovic with no intention to challenge for the ball before Maggiore was sent off for a second bookable offence having fouled Rabiot.
Massimiliano Allegri threw on Arkadiusz Milik for Nicolussi Caviglia just shy of the hour mark, but it was earlier substitute Samuel Iling-Junior who equalised, firing home after Vlahovic had miskicked from Timothy Weah’s cross.
Rather than retreat though, Salernitana poured forward, Domagoj Bradaric stinging Wojciech Szczesny’s palms and Simy poking wide under pressure from the Pole.
Simy was subsequently withdrawn for Thursday’s scorer Chukwubuikem Ikwuemesi, but ultimately the points headed back with Juve as Danilo executed a superbly timed tackle and picked out Vlahovic, who powered in on 91 minutes to spark bedlam in the away end.
Salernitana - still bottom of the table - travel to Campania rivals SSC Napoli next weekend, while Juve remain second and host Frosinone in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals on Thursday before returning to league matters against Sassuolo.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus)
Read more about the match here.
