Juve bounce back after Tudor sacking as Roma, Inter keep pace with leaders Napoli

Juventus’ Kean Yildiz scores a goal during the match against Udinese Calcio in Turin. (EPA Images pic)

MILAN: Juventus snapped an eight-match winless streak with Wednesday’s 3-1 success over Udinese, with Luciano Spalletti ready to replace the sacked Igor Tudor, as Roma and Inter Milan stayed on Serie A leaders Napoli’s tails.

Federico Gatti thumped home a powerful header in the 67th minute before Kenan Yildiz slotted in a late penalty in Turin to give Juve a first win in any competition since mid-September and move them to seventh spot on 15 points, six behind leading pair Napoli and Roma, who beat Parma 2-1.

Gatti and Yildiz saved Juve’s blushes after another disjointed performance, this time under “Next Gen” under-23 coach Massimo Brambilla, who has stepped in until Tudor’s permanent replacement in the dugout is confirmed.

Juve were level at 1-1 heading into the final third of a match played at a soaking Allianz Stadium after Nicolo Zaniolo stroked home his third goal of the season in the dying seconds of the first half, cancelling out Dusan Vlahovic’s early penalty.

“I’ve only been here with the first team a couple of days, on Monday morning I was in training with the under-23s and then in the afternoon I was with the first team,” said Brambilla to broadcaster DAZN.

“They’re good players, they know what they’re supposed to do and today they deserved the win.”

Spalletti is expected to sign a contract until the end of the season, which will be renewed only if Juve manage to qualify for the Champions League.

But speaking to DAZN ahead of Wednesday’s win Giorgio Chiellini, a club icon and now Juve’s strategic director, insisted that “nothing has been signed right now”.

Spalletti, now 66 years old, had a dreadful time in his most recent job as Italy boss, but he has been one of the country’s most influential coaches over the past two decades and won a historic Serie A title with Napoli in 2023.

Roma, Inter in the hunt 

In the capital, Mario Hermoso headed home his first goal for Roma just after the hour mark before Artem Dovbyk netted the crucial strike with nine minutes remaining as Gian Piero Gasperini’s charges maintained their pursuit of Napoli.

Dovbyk’s second goal of a troubled start to the season for the Ukraine striker was key, as Alessandro Circati pulled one back for Parma shortly afterwards but the 15th-placed side couldn’t force an equaliser.

“These are three well-earned points… once we got going we controlled the game, conceded very little and created plenty,” said coach Gasperini.

Roma travel to AC Milan on Sunday with the division’s best defence – Circati’s strike was just the fourth conceded in nine league matches – and a chance to prove that they deserve to be in the Scudetto discussion.

Milan are fourth after being overtaken on goal difference by local rivals Inter Milan, who comfortably beat troubled Fiorentina 3-0 at the San Siro and moved into third on 18 points.

A brace from Hakan Calhanoglu and Petar Sucic’s sumptuous individual goal, all in the second half, got Inter back on track after losing at Napoli on Saturday.

Calhanoglu opened the scoring with an unstoppable low drive in the 66th minute, finally ending Fiorentina and goalkeeper David de Gea’s resistance.

And Sucic doubled the hosts’ lead with his first Serie A goal five minutes later, bringing the house down in the process.

Sucic, who signed from Dinamo Zagreb in the summer, collected Lautaro Martinez’s pass on the edge of the penalty area before skipping through Fiorentina’s defence and, after a perfectly executed shimmy, rifling home a low finish.

Calhanoglu rounded off victory with a late penalty won by Ange-Yoan Bonny, leaving Fiorentina in the relegation zone without a win to their name.

Federico Bonnazoli scored twice as Cremonese beat rock-bottom Genoa and moved up to eighth, one point and place below Juventus, who they host on Saturday.