Juventus 1-0 AS Roma – Adrien Rabiot winner sees Juve edge out Jose Mourinho’s Roma in Serie A clash

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.

The home fans might have been satisfied by tonight’s result at the Allianz Stadium, but for most of the match they were audibly unconvinced by their team’s performance.

It might be alright – indeed inevitable – to grind out the odd result on the way to a scudetto but, on balance, to win a title teams tend to have to play like champions.

Instead tonight’s victory over Roma was another that Max Allegri will have to admit his side have “edged.” Eventually they will have to start blowing sides away or eventually that edge will fall the other way.

As it is, Juventus find themselves with a result of top spot. Though that position certainly flatters them, there is no better time than New Year to turn over a new leaf.

The man whose name was mentioned more than any other’s in the first half and then created the opportunity for the decisive goal early in the second. Although Vlahovic’s finishing left a little to be desired, and he will have been as frustrated at his shooting boots as anyone, his positional play was sublime and he caused Roma’s defenders all manner of problems. He may yet find himself displaced by the nippy terrier Yildiz, but for now he’s still Juve’s top dog.

JUVENTUS: Szczesny 7; Gatti 7, Bremer 7, Danilo 7; Weah 6, McKennie 6, Locatelli 6, Rabiot 7, Kostic7; Yildiz 7, Vlahovic 8… Subs: Chiesa 7, Iling-Jr 6, Milik 6, Rugana N/A

AS ROMA: Rui Patricio 6; Mancini 7, Llorente 7, Ndicka 6; Kristensen 6, Cristante 5, Paredes 6, Dybala 7, Bove 6, Zalewski 6; Lukaku 5… Subs: Pellegrini 7, Azmoun 6, El Shaarawy 6

14 ‘ – ROMA HIT THE POST A well taken corner from the right finds Bryan Cristante just inside the box. His snap shot is deflected onto the right post. Roma have started very brightly indeed.

43′ – JUVENTUS GO CLOSE! A clean strike from Kostic, with the keeper well out of position, that is heading for the corner of the goal. A visionary bit of running back from Ndicka who puts his body in the way and prevents Juventus from taking the lead. The moment of the half so far, that.

47′ – GOAL! JUVENTUS 1 – 0 ROMA (RABIOT) Some sloppy defending from Roma creates an opportunity for Juve. Adrien Rabiot pops just inside the box to receive the flick from Vlahovic, before slot past the keeper low and to his left. A whisper of offside but VAR says it’s fine.

84′ – JUVENTUS GO CLOSE! Good play from Chiesa on the left to find McKennie in the middle, 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.