Dusan Vlahovic Engaged in a Verbal Spat with Juventus Supporters Following Another Stalemate
Juventus' match against Venezia on the weekend was quite the spectacle, with the Bianconeri ending up in another tie, despite boss Thiago Motta being suspended and Dusan Vlahovic engaging in heated arguments with his own club's fans.
Following their thrilling victory against Manchester City in the middle of the week – an encounter that was thoroughly examined here – Juventus were seen as the clear favorites against a Venezia team that was languishing at the bottom of Serie A.
Indeed, Venezia had only managed two draws and six losses in their eight away games prior to this encounter, suggesting that they might be making a return to Serie B at the conclusion of the 2024/25 season.
Juventus fail to make the most of their advantage
Undefeated Juventus, however, were still struggling with an unattractive 9 draws in their first 15 games of the season, in addition to a long list of absentees. Nico Gonzalez was back on the bench after overcoming an injury, but Juventus were still missing Gleison Bremer, Juan Cabal, Andrea Cambiaso, and Arek Milik.
Thiago Motta was also absent due to a touchline ban for dissent, which meant his trusted right-hand man Alexandre Hugeaux took charge on the sidelines.
Despite their numerous challenges, Juventus took the lead in the 19th minute, with Khephren Thuram helping direct a Teun Koopmeiners corner, which allowed Federico Gatti to score at the other end.
Venezia take advantage of Juventus' mistakes
Venezia had opportunities to level the score before half time, with Magnus Andersen striking the crossbar with a shot from outside the box, and Gianluca Busio having his attempt blocked by a sliding Thuram.
In the second half, Juve thought they had scored a second, but VAR overturned the decision due to handball by Kenan Yildiz, and a powerful attempt from Thuram hit the bar on its way over. Juventus would lament those squandered opportunities as Venezia came back to equalize when Mikael Ellertsson headed in a cross from Francesco Zampano.
With less than 10 minutes remaining, a free kick from Hans Nicolussi Caviglia – loaned out to Venezia from Juventus – found Jay Idzes, and his header found the bottom corner of the net.
Douglas Luiz almost equalized with an acrobatic effort, but with just seconds remaining, Venezia goalkeeper Filip Stankovic saved Conceicao's shot, deflecting it onto the arm of teammate Antonio Candela.
Dusan Vlahovic vents frustration
Vlahovic converted the penalty, allowing Juventus to avoid a loss, but they still managed to tie the game and match a 26-year old record for fewest victories after 16 rounds (6 from 1998/99).
“We didn’t put in a good performance against a team that defended well, and we certainly need to improve,” Thiago Motta told Sky Italia shortly after the final whistle. “I had already mentioned before the match that every game is different, so this was not connected to the Champions League. We cannot be satisfied with this performance.”
“We had taken the lead and should have kept pressing forward to create more chances and seal the deal,” Motta continued. “But we didn’t do that, and we allowed the other team to get back into it.”
Fans expressed their displeasure at the end of the game, booing the team and berating the players as they acknowledged the Curva Sud supporters after the match. Vlahovic found himself at the center of a confrontation with some of the fans, resulting in a heated exchange between the Serbia striker and the supporters.
“The fans have the right to express their emotions and feelings,” Motta said when asked about the incident. “Players are the first to wish they could have changed things and won the game, so it is not a good moment. We must remain united and keep moving forward for the sake of Juventus. We all want to change this situation. The fans have the right to express themselves, but we should remain united and work together to change things.”
They will have another opportunity to do so when Juventus take the field again on Tuesday, facing off against Cagliari in the Coppa Italia.
Despite Dusan Vlahovic's involvement in heated arguments with Juventus' fans, his transfer to Juventus FC, now known as Vlahovic Juventus, has been one of the team's highlights this season. Despite missing Thiago Motta due to suspension and dealing with several injuries, Juventus struggled to clinch a win against Venezia, ending in another tie for the Bianconeri.
