Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
The race for fourth place in Serie A keeps getting tighter and if Juventus fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League, defender Pierre Kalulu might shoulder significant blame.
Lazio snatched a 1-1 draw against Juventus, one of their direct rivals for fourth spot, on Saturday. The match changed on the hour mark when Kalulu was sent off for hitting an opponent while his team led 1-0.
Fourth-placed Juventus remained level on points with Lazio, above the capital team thanks to a better head-to-head record.
Roma are only a point behind and visit third-placed Atalanta on Monday. Bologna are a point further back following Friday’s loss to AC Milan and could be joined on points if Fiorentina win at Venezia on Monday.
There are two rounds remaining.
Juventus broke the deadlock six minutes after the break when Weston McKennie floated in a cross from the left for an unmarked Randal Kolo Muani to head in from close range.
However, nine minutes later, Kalulu was sent off after video review. He hit Taty Castellanos on the back of the shoulder, although the Lazio forward fell clutching his face.
Lazio levelled in the sixth minute of stoppage time. Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio pulled off another fine save to keep out Castellanos’ header but he couldn’t stop Matías Vecino’s follow-up from point-blank range.
Empoli recorded their first win of 2025 and it could prove to be the most crucial, as they beat 10-man Parma 2-1 in a relegation battle to move out of the bottom three.
Jacopo Fazzini swept a corner kick into the roof of the net in the 11th minute and matters appeared to be going the Tuscan team’s way even more when Parma were reduced to 10 men in the 31st.
Defender Lautaro Valenti, who needlessly earned himself a yellow card nine minutes earlier for slapping an opponent on the leg after being tripped, was even more foolish in receiving a second booking for dragging back another player by the jersey.
Milan Duric managed to bundle in a surprise equaliser for the 10 men of Parma in the 73rd but Tino Anjorin curled into the top right corner four minutes from time to secure Empoli’s first win in five months.
Empoli moved a point above Lecce, who visit Hellas Verona on Sunday. Parma are only five points above the relegation zone.
Como recovered from from a huge mistake from their goalkeeper to beat Cagliari 3-1.
It was a sixth straight win for Cesc Fabregas’ team, who had already secured Serie A safety. Cagliari will have to wait a little longer as they are six points above the relegation zone, with most of the teams below them still to play this weekend.
Cagliari took the lead in the 20th when Pepe Reina allowed Michel Adopo’s shot to squirm under his body.
Como’s Maxence Caqueret leveled in the 40th and Gabriel Strefezza fired the hosts in front in stoppages. Patrick Cutrone sealed the result on his 100th appearance for Como.
