Serie A | Juventus 1-0 Roma: Rabiot breaks Mourinho

Adrien Rabiot on a Dusan Vlahovic back-heel flick gave Juventus victory over Jose Mourinho’s Roma, taking them within two points of leaders Inter.

Paulo Dybala returned from injury to face his former club with Leandro Paredes, though Chris Smalling, Tammy Abraham and Marash Kumbulla were still out of action. Andrea Cambiaso, Paul Pogba and Nicolò Fagioli were suspended, with Moise Kean, Alex Sandro and Mattia De Sciglio injured. As Federico Chiesa was not at 100 per cent, teenage sensation Kenan Yildiz again started, this time with Dusan Vlahovic and returning Timothy Weah.

It was a very aggressive Roma start and within four minutes Bryan Cristante’s strike had taken a deflection off Vlahovic to thump the base of the near post.

Vlahovic fired a couple of efforts wide, then managed to turn Diego Llorente only for Gianluca Mancini to make the decisive block.

After an acrobatic Vlahovic bicycle kick, Yildiz turned Llorente with a great counter-attack and pulled the finish wide of the far post.

Dybala came close to a stunning goal too, his strike with the outside of the left boot skimming the upright after a poor Danilo clearance.

Filip Kostic thought he had scored when a long Weston McKennie throw-in was flicked into his path for the ferocious volley, but while Rui Patricio was beaten, Evan Ndicka got back for a decisive goal-line clearance.

Juve took the lead at the dawn of the second half, as Roma struggled to clear their lines and a cheeky Vlahovic back-heel flick sent Rabiot through down the left, beating Rui Patricio at the near post with the inside of the left boot. The VAR footage showed it was extremely tight, but not offside.

Adrien Rabiot gives Juventus the lead early in the second half! 🤩

That goal might just take La Vecchia Signora one step closer to Inter at the top of the table! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/veHwzwxnP1
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 30, 2023

Roma started to have long periods of possession, with Juve defending their lead deep, Dybala’s attempt from outside the box smothered by Wojciech Szczesny and the Cristante strike taking a double deflection.

However, Federico Chiesa went on the counter and rolled across for McKennie, who seemed like he had to tap in before the Rui Patricio reaction save.

Chiesa had the ball in the net on 88 minutes, but it was ruled offside because the block on a Samuel Iling-Junior shot did not qualify as a pass, so was not enough to get him onside again.

Sardar Azmoun’s header was straight at Szczesny in stoppagges.

Juventus 1-0 Roma

Rabiot 47 (J)