Juventus v Roma Result: Juve grind out the win to keep the pressure on leaders Inter

It was a case of good enough for Juve, as Allegri’s side won a tight match by a single goal, to take the Turin team within a point of the Serie A frontrunners.

Neither side dominated the match and the 90 minutes brought few clear chances for either team.

It was Jose Mourinho’s struggling Roma side that started the game most brightly. In the first half they proved determined to prevent the title challengers from finding any sort of rhythm.

Roma pegged the home side back well, denying Juve a route to goal via the wings and forcing them down the middle of the park.

Vlahovic was the most active of the Juventus creative talent, but on the couple of occasions to bring up chances he failed to test the keeper.

As it was, neither No. 1 was really threatened in the opening 45 minutes - largely thanks to stoic defensive performances at each end.

The second half might have been a carbon copy of the first had the hosts not come out of the tunnel in a higher gear than the visitors.

An early opportunity for Yildiz was blocked by Bove, before Vlahovic and Rabiot combined moments later to present the latter with the perfect opportunity inside the box.

Being a goal down didn’t inspire much urgency in Mourino’s side. Juventus were happy to pack the centre and invite Roma’s advance, while denying Romelu Lukaku anything close to an opportunity.

The away side had little to offer by way of creativity, while Juve seemed confident that the single goal would be enough.

So it proved, as a convincing but uninspired performance kept the pressure on Inter going into 2024.

That's it then, a fairly forgettable game is decided, unsurprisingly by a single goal. All it took was one moment, and a tidy finish with a hint of offside.

ROMA FREE KICK INSIDE THEIR HALF

In what is surely Roma's last chance to salvage something, it's keeper Patricio who launches a ball but it's easily dealt with.

The hobbling American is finally allowed off the pitch.

Makes the most of it again, just winding down the clock.

Crowding out Lukaku completely, as they have done all game.

It's another header in the comfortable direction of Szcesny.

Not out of control but they're finally playing like they're a goal down,

SIX MINUTES OF STOPPAGE TIME TO PLAY

Allegri doesn't know where that's come from. Neither do I tbh. Big five minutes in the season of both of these sides.

Who can only flick it into the outstretched arms of the Juventus goalie.

But it's ruled out immediately by the referee for offside. Chiesa think there was a backward pass, though, and that the goal should stand. VAR agrees with the ref.

It's aimed at Lukaku but the keeper leaps and is good for it.

I know it's a Mourinho side but there's less than five minutes on the clock.

Good play from Chiesa to find him from the left, but the strike from inside the box is straight at Patricio who makes the instinctive save with his foot. 2-0 would have been done and dusted.

Mourinho's side need the win but would bite your hand off for the point at this stage, you'd say.

Replacing Nicola Zalewski.

Seemed a bit harsh that one, to the point where I couldn't really tell you what it was for. I mean it was for stopping El Shaarawy in his tracks but where was the foul?

Samuel Iling Junior comes on for Kostic, Arkadiusz Milik replaces Vlahovic.

Replaced by Stephan El Shaarawy.

Having run into the hand of Locatelli at the goal line. Locatelli is not impressed with the theatrics of Roma's number 4.