Dusan Vlahovic saved Juventus with a last-gasp penalty in a 2-2 draw with bottom club Venezia as Napoli came back from a goal down to secure the three points at the Bluenergy Stadium.
Juventus are nine points behind Atalanta in sixth after following up on their Champions League win over Manchester City with an awful performance against Venezia which was met with loud disapproval from supporters despite Vlahovic’s late leveller. Juve avoided a first league defeat of the season but a draw does nothing for Thiago Motta’s team who look miles behind Atalanta not just in points but also in play.
“When we play teams that leave us space we can attack well but when we play against teams that leave little space we have problems like you saw tonight,” said Motta. “We can’t stay where we are because we have the quality to be higher at the table.”
Vlahovic struck his 11th goal of the season from the spot in the fifth minute of stoppage time after Antonio Candela was penalised for handball, but the goal was met with a combination of cheers and jeers from frustrated fans who watched their team’s 12th draw of the season.
Mikael Ellertsson and Jay Idzes cancelled out Federico Gatti’s 19th-minute opener with two fine headers which put Venezia ahead seven with minutes remaining, but a draw leaves them two points from Como who sit just outside the relegation zone.