Serie A Round 15 Shakes the Title Race as Juventus, Inter and Udinese Make Big Statements

Juventus picked up a vital away victory as they ground out a 1-0 win over Bologna at the Renato Dall’Ara in a match short on flair but rich in consequence. The first half was scrappy, defined by poor decision making in the final third and a disallowed Juventus goal after Jonathan David was flagged offside. Bologna came closest before the break when Nadir Zortea rattled the crossbar from a tight angle, a moment that lifted the home crowd.

The breakthrough finally arrived just after the hour mark when Kenan Yildiz delivered the first moment of real quality in the game. His curling cross found substitute Juan Cabal, who headed the ball into the ground and guided it beyond Ravaglia. Bologna’s hopes faded rapidly five minutes later when Torbjorn Heggem was sent off for hauling down Lois Openda as he raced clean through on goal. Juventus saw out the contest with relative comfort, collecting three points that lifted them into fifth place and leapfrogged Bologna, who struggled to respond with only 0.65 expected goals across the match.

In Udine, Napoli suffered a damaging blow to their title ambitions as Udinese deservedly claimed a 1-0 win, handing the champions their fourth league defeat of the season. A cagey first half produced little in front of goal, but the game exploded after the break. Udinese twice thought they had taken the lead through Davis and later Zaniolo, only for VAR to rule both goals out.

The decisive moment came in the 73rd minute when Napoli failed to deal with a bouncing ball at the back. Keinan Davis pounced, laid it into the path of Jurgen Ekkelenkamp, and the midfielder’s deflected strike flew past Milinkovic Savic to spark wild celebrations. Napoli had chances to rescue a point late on, with Rasmus Hojlund missing a glaring opportunity from close range, but it summed up a flat display. The loss denied Antonio Conte’s side the chance to go clear at the top and instead opened the door for Inter.

Inter took full advantage later in the day, moving top of Serie A with a hard fought 2-1 victory away to Genoa. The visitors started sharply, taking the lead inside six minutes when Yann Bisseck caught the goalkeeper at his near post. Lautaro Martinez doubled the advantage before half time with a composed left foot finish, capping a dominant opening spell.

Genoa offered little for long periods but found belief in the second half when Vitinha latched onto a long ball, rounded Sommer and slotted home to set up a nervy finish. Inter had to withstand late pressure, but their superior control and attacking threat saw them over the line. The win sent Cristian Chivu’s side to the top of the table after rivals dropped points.

At San Siro, AC Milan missed the chance to assert themselves in the title race as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Sassuolo in an entertaining contest. The visitors struck first through Ismael Kone, finishing off a slick move, before Davide Bartesaghi responded with a well taken equaliser late in the first half. The young full back then put Milan ahead shortly after the restart, completing his brace and appearing to have turned the game on its head.

Milan even had two more goals ruled out for offside as they pushed for control, but Sassuolo refused to fold. Substitute Armand Lauriente combined neatly with Andrea Pinamonti before firing into the far corner to level matters once again. Sassuolo almost snatched all three points late on when Lauriente struck the post, while Milan were left frustrated by missed chances and fine margins.

The draw kept Milan narrowly at the summit at the time, but with Napoli losing and Inter winning later in the day, the picture shifted dramatically. Juventus’ quiet progress, Udinese’s upset and Inter’s efficiency ensured this round will be remembered as a turning point in the Serie A season.