Champions Juventus travelled to AC Chievo Verona in Serie A on Wednesday evening.
Antonio Conte's Juve had made an unbeaten start to the season, taking 10 points from their opening four league games.
There was a possibility of the Turin side going top of the table with a win in northern Italy, but that could only happen if Roma and Napoli slipped up against Sampdoria and Sassuolo respectively.
Meanwhile, Chievo, who claimed their first win of the campaign on Saturday when they came from behind to beat Udinese 2-1, knew that maximum points would take them into the top half.
Find out how the game unfolded by revisiting the action below with Sports Mole's blow-by-blow text updates.
JUVE STARTING XI: Buffon, Barzagli, Ogbonna, Chiellini, Isla, Pogba, Pirlo, Marchisio, Peluso, Quagliarella, Llorente
JUVE SUBS: Storari, Vannucchi, Lichtsteiner, Motta, Bonucci, De Ceglie, Padoin, Vidal, Asamoah, Vucinic, Tevez, Giovinco
Prior to tonight, Carlos Tevez had started all four of Juve's league games this season. However, despite having already notched three Serie A goals, the former Manchester City forward is benched.
Meanwhile, Claudio Marchisio makes his first club start since May, having fully recovered from the knee ligament injury that he picked up last month.
Chievo team news has yet to reach us. While we wait for it to land, let's look back at some recent meetings between these two sides.
The visitors won this fixture 2-1 last season. First-half goals from Alessandro Matri and Stefan Lichtsteiner put the champions in control, before Cyril Thereau stuck just after half time to set up nervy finish. Juve were also victorious when they sides met in Turin, as Fabio Quagliarella scored twice in five second-half minutes to give the Old Lady a 2-0 success.
Prior to Juve doing the double over Chievo, there had been four consecutive draws between these teams.
CHIEVO STARTING XI: Puggioni, Sardo, Claiton, Cesar, Drame, Bernardini, Bentivoglio, Rigoni, Estigarribia, Paloschi, Thereau
CHIEVO SUBS: Squizzi, Silvestri, Frey, Papp, Radovanovic, Sestu, Calello, Pamic, Improta, Boadu-Maxwell, Pellissier, Ardemagni
Thearau returns to the starting XI for Chievo, however the hosts are without Finnish midfielder Perparim Hetemaj.
The teams are out on the pitch and there is just enough time to sneak in a PREDICTION - I really fancy Juve to extend their winning run over Chievo to three games. Conte's team is far superior in terms of quality and Juve's summer signings seem to be gelling very quickly. I'm tipping a 3-0 away win.
KICK OFF - Chievo get the game underway...
The match has been an interesting tactical spectacle so far. Both teams are piling men behind to ball when they lose possession. It looks like both managers have set up to counter attack. Judging by the pace in the respective lineups, that could favour Chievo.
Cheivo have started pretty well. They win the game's first corner, which is headed to safety.
We've just had the game's first effort at goal - I think! Paul Pogba clips in a right-footed cross to Fernando Llorente, who closes his eyes and hopes for the best. It doesn't work out for the Spanish forward though, as the ball hits his moppy head and rebounds back towards the halfway line.
Juve are well on top now. The Serie A champions are dominating possession and forcing their opponents to chase hard. Chievo will tire quickly if this continues.
Llorente unleashes a speculative volley from long range. It does dip, but far too late and goalkeeper Christian Puggioni's decision not to move is vindicated.
Federico Peluso crosses from the left towards the near post. Llorente sets himself to strike, but, much to his annoyance, Quagliarella sneaks in ahead of him and nods well wide.
Peluso is seeing a lot of the ball in these early stages. The Italy left-back crosses again. This time he finds Paul Pogba, who attacks the delivery with real intent, before powerfully heading just over. That was the best chance of the game so far.
Boukary Drame is shown yellow card.
GOAL! (THEREAU) - CHIEVO 1-0 JUVENTUS
Gianluigi Buffon is punished for a very poor clearance, as Chievo take a shock lead with their first real sniff at Juve's goal. The goalkeeper's slack kick falls to Gennaro Sardo. He then plays a neat ball into the path of Thereau, who sweeps a brilliant volley into the bottom right corner of the net from just inside the penalty area. Great finish.
Juventus have responded well to falling behind. They go close to levelling as Andrea Pirlo's cultured effort from long range deflects narrowly wide.
SAVE! Encouraged by their earlier success, Chievo launch another attack - and they are almost made to regret doing so! The hosts overcommit and Juve immediately break at speed. Quagliarella drives at goal from 20 yards and Puggioni does well to palm away.
CHANCE! Mauricio Isla cuts in from the left and shoots low across goal. His effort hits Simone Bentivoglio and loops up towards Llorente, who heads tamely into Puggioni's arms at the back post. Llorente should have done better. I don't think he realised just how much time he had.
HALF TIME: CHIEVO 1-0 JUVENTUS
Well, if any of you followed my prediction and bet on Juve to win 3-0: (A) I'm sorry and (B) you should have known better! The scoreline doesn't really reflect the action so far though and I would still be very surprised if Chievo took all three points.
Juve have had 76% of possession and registered nine shots, two of which have been on target. Meanwhile, Chievo have had two shots - both on target.
Chievo got plenty of bodies behind the ball in the first half and I expect that to continue when play resumes. However, Juventus have looked good out wide and, if Llorente improves on what by his standards was a disappointing 45 minutes, I can see the visitors turning this game around using their aerial prowess.
Juve get the second half underway. Neither side has made any personnel changes during the break.
GOAL! (QUAGLIARELLA) - CHIEVO 1-1 JUVENTUS
Just as predicted, Juve get back on level terms courtesy of some tidy wide play. Pogba drifts out to the right and whips in a perfect cross for Quagliarella, whose header is brilliantly saved by Puggioni at point-blank range. Puggioni then palms Quagliarella's first rebound onto the woodwork, before the striker taps home at the third attempt from just under one yard out.
DISALLOWED GOAL! Alberto Paloschi thinks that he has put Chievo back in front, but then he sees that he has been wrongly flagged offside. It was a lovely finish too, after Bentivoglio initial effort had deflected into his path.
Things are really hotting up now. While Chievo are complaining about being denied a goal at one end, Juve take their free kick quickly and calmly stroke the ball into the unguarded net at the other. Common sense prevails as the referee calls for the free kick to be taken again.
Gennaro Sardo is shown a YELLOW CARD for protesting too much at Paloschi's goal being chalked off.
Another YELLOW CARD as Bentivoglio now enters the referee's book for a late and rash challenge on Pirlo. Chievo manager Giuseppe Sannino needs to calm his players down.
Marchisio tries his luck from long range and forces a decent save out of Puggioni.
The game has become stretched as both sides fancy their chances of scoring the third, potentially decisive, goal. Bentivoglio stings the palms of Buffon from 25 yards.
SUB: Juve wing-back Stephan Lichtsteiner replaces Isla.
GOAL! (BERNARDINI OG) - CHIEVO 1-2 JUVENTUS
Juve complete the turnaround and again the credit must go to Pogba. The French international whips in a low delivery that looks destined to find Llorente at the back stick, but, in a desperate attempt to make an interception, Alessandro Bernardini diverts the ball past his own goalkeeper.
SUB: After seeing his side fall behind, Sannino responds straight away by bringing Ivan Radovanovic on in place of Marcelo Estigarribia.
SUB: Chievo's second change sees Matteo Ardemagni replace Alberto Paloschi.
Ardemagni is quickly into the action, providing a lovely pass for Luca Rigoni, who fizzes a right-footed shot wide from 20 yards.
SUB: Carlos Tevez's warm-up is complete. The Argentinean replaces goalscorer Quagliarella.
Tevez looks extremely keen to make an impression tonight. He's been on the field for less than one minute when he "enthusiastically" goes in late on Radovanovic. Just a free kick, no booking.
Juve are doing a very good job of draining their opponents' optimism. Conte's men are keeping their discipline and starving Chievo of possession.
SUB: The champions make their final change as midfielder Arturo Vidal comes on for Llorente. Time is almost up. It's now or never for Chievo.
FULL TIME: CHIEVO 1-2 JUVENTUS
For the second consecutive match, Juve have come from behind to win 2-1. They were certainly the better side and therefore it is hard to argue that the result was unfair. However, I'm sure that Chievo will disagree, having seen a perfectly good goal ruled out with the scores at 1-1.
Juve climb two places to third. They also go level on points with second-placed Napoli, who have been held to a 1-1 draw by Sassuolo. Elsewhere tonight, Roma extended their 100% record by winning 2-0 at Sampdoria. Rudi Garcia's men stay top.
That's all from me for now. I will leave you with this link to Sports Mole's match report on tonight's match at Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi.
Written by
Robert Summerscales
Robert Summerscales
