Juventus rallies from 3-0 down to draw with Bologna in first match without Allegri
Juventus's Arkadiusz Milik, center, celebrates scoring during the Serie A soccer match between Bologna FC and Juventus FC at the Dall'Ara Stadium, Bologna, Italy, Monday, May 20, 2024. Credit: AP/Michele Nucci
BOLOGNA, Italy — In its first match since Massimiliano Allegri was fired, Juventus came from 3-0 down to draw with Bologna 3-3 in Serie A on Monday.
Allegri was sacked on Friday, two days after berating the referees while winning the Italian Cup final. Under-19 coach Pablo Montero agreed to oversee Juve's last two games.
Bologna, third, and Juventus, fourth on goal difference, have already qualified for the Champions League next season but played like they hadn't.
A double by Riccardo Calafiori helped a dominant Bologna to 3-0, and in their grasp was a first home win over Juve in 26 years.
But Juventus began its comeback with 14 minutes left of regulation time, starting with Federico Chiesa's goal. Within eight more minutes, Arkadiusz Milik struck from a free kick and the equalizer was by Kenan Yildiz, the 19-year-old forward who Juve consider a star in the making.
In this breakthrough season, Yildiz debuted for Juventus and became its youngest foreign scorer, and debuted and scored for European Championship-bound Turkey.
Meanwhile, Verona guaranteed its Serie A status for another season after beating Salernitana 2-1.
Verona's Tijjani Noslin, left, and Salernitana's Federico Fazio, right, challenge for the ball during the Serie A soccer match between US Salernitana and Hellas Verona in Salerno, Italy, Monday, May 20, 2024. Credit: AP/Alessandro Garofalo
Marco Baroni’s men are four points clear of the relegation zone with one game to go.
Salernitana and Sassuolo are already down and Verona’s win means Udinese, Empoli, Frosinone and Cagliari are fighting to avoid joining them.
Verona’s third win in five games was timely given its last league match is against champion Inter Milan, which has lost only twice all season.
Tomas Suslov's second goal in the league was the opener, and Darko Lazović crossed for Michael Folorunsho to poke home from close range on the stroke of halftime.
Salernitana's Loum Tchaouna, left, and Verona's Diego Coppola, right, challenge for the ball during the Serie A soccer match between US Salernitana and Hellas Verona in Salerno, Italy, Monday, May 20, 2024. Credit: AP/Alessandro Garofalo
Giulio Maggiore scored a consolation for the home side in the final minute.
