Sampdoria 0-0 Juventus: Lacklustre Bianconeri held to goalless draw
Juventus dropped their first Serie A points of the season as they fired a blank at Sampdoria on Monday.
An uninspiring performance from Juventus saw them held to a goalless draw at Sampdoria as they failed to make it two Serie A wins from two.
Massimiliano Allegri’s men were looking to make it seven consecutive Serie A victories against their opponents from Genoa, but they were unable to break down a resolute defence.
Adrien Rabiot thought he had opened the scoring in the second half, but the goal was ruled out following a VAR check and Samp held on for their first point of the season.
Monday's stalemate means the Bianconeri go fourth as they dropped points after lacking a cutting edge.
The hosts nearly went in front after just six minutes when a sublime through ball from Abdelhamid Sabiri picked out Mehdi Leris in the box, but the midfielder’s dink struck Mattia Perin’s hip and hit the crossbar.
Emil Audero then made an important stop to tip a deflected Filip Kostic effort, which was destined for the top corner, over the bar.
After the interval, Rabiot thought he had broken the deadlock with an excellent first-time left-foot finish, but the VAR ruled it out as Dusan Vlahovic was offside in the build-up.
Juve pushed for a winner late on and nearly found one when Kostic volleyed at goal in injury time, but Audero punched the ball away and Sampdoria saw out the remaining minutes for a hard-fought point.
What does it mean? Toothless Juve lack spark
Though early in the season, the visitors will be disappointed to miss out on maximum points after starting with a 3-0 win over Sassuolo and they could have no complaints.
Samp are up and running after keeping Juve at bay in a forgettable contest.
Colossal Colley
Omar Colley was a key part of the hosts’ rigid backline with a team-high four clearances, while he also won possession five times. The centre-back also won 66.7 per cent of his duels.
Kostic fails to deliver
Kostic made his Serie A full debut after his move from Eintracht Frankfurt, but he struggled to make an impact. The Serbia international lost possession 16 times, the most of any visiting player.
Key Opta facts:
- Juve have kept two clean sheets in the first two games of a Serie A campaign for the first time since 2014.
- That is three seasons in a row that the Bianconeri have not been able to win both of their first two matches of a Serie A campaign.
- Vlahovic had only three touches in the first half, at least five less than any other player on the pitch.
- Samp have failed to score in the first two league games of the season for two Serie A campaigns in a row for the first time in their history.
What's next?
The Bianconeri will look to get back on track on Saturday at home to third-placed Roma, while Sampdoria will look to build on their first point of the season with another result away at Salernitana on Sunday.
