Dusan Vlahovic fired Juventus to within a point of Serie A leaders Inter Milan with the decisive strike in Saturday’s 2-1 win at Frosinone as Lewis Ferguson kept high-flying Bologna in the Champions League positions. Serbia striker Vlahovic headed home the winner with nine minutes remaining at the Stadio Benito Stirpe after Jaime Baez had equalized for the hosts after Kenan Yildiz’s opener early in his first Juve start. Massimiliano Allegri’s team is now awaiting the result of Inter’s home clash with Lecce, which Inter will face without an injured star striker Lautaro Martinez and Italy’s left-back Federico Dimarco.
Vlahovic, who has had a difficult season, is on six league goals and was unlucky to end the game without a brace when his pinpoint strike in the 89th minute was ruled out for offside.
“There was the desire to win, to help the team and make the fans happy in that goal,” Vlahovic told DAZN.
“Of course a striker is not happy when they don’t score, or not consistently, but I work hard every day to give something to the team.”
Teenage star Yildiz became Juve’s youngest-ever Serie A foreign goalscorer with his stunning close-post finish that came after weaving his way past three defenders.
German-born Yildiz, 18, a reported target for Arsenal and Liverpool, came on injured Federico Chiesa and said he will now take his teammates out to dinner to celebrate.
“For me this is too good. Thanks to everyone. To the fans, they are crazy. Look at them!” he said.
The only negative note for Juve was Alex Sandro and Manuel Locatelli both get hurt.
Alex Sandro had left the field midway through the first half with cramp, the Brazilian defender has already missed most of the season with a hamstring injury.
Ferguson strikes
It was Frosinone’s first defeat at home since they lost to Napoli in the first week of the season. They hammered the Italian champions 4-0 in the Italian Cup in midweek.
Eusebio Di Francesco’s side are 14th on 19 points, seven points above the relegation zone.
Scotland’s Ferguson tapped home the winning header with four minutes remaining at the Stadio Dall’Ara as Bologna continued their remarkable season with a 1-0 win over Atalanta.
Thiago MottaThe team go into Christmas in fourth place, a point ahead of Fiorentina after a hard-fought victory, their sixth in a row at home in Serie A.
Ferguson’s header was the fourth goal in what has been an impressive second season in Italy for the 24-year-old, who has been a key man for a Bologna side that also knocked Inter out of the Italian Cup in midweek.
“It’s up there with the most important,” Ferguson said of his winner.
And Ferguson, who also has Euro 2024 to look forward to next summer, is optimistic about Bologna’s chances of Champions League qualification.
“Of course it’s possible. It’s possible for everyone. But right now we’re in a good moment, we’re getting the right results,” he added.
“We work so hard… everyone is together at the club and we’re all pushing in the same direction. There’s a real belief.”
Atalanta are now five points behind Bologna in seventh after their seventh defeat in a disjointed season to date.
Ivan Ilic’s mishit cross earned 10th-placed Torino a 1-1 home draw with struggling Udinese.
(With the exception of the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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