Del Piero spares blushes
Veteran forward Alessandro Del Piero won and converted a last-minute penalty to earn Juventus a 1-1 draw with Catania in Sicily on Saturday.
The result in their first match following the three-week winter break was enough to move Juve up to second, for 24 hours at least, but the loss of two points has severely hit their fading title aspirations.
Juve are still seven points behind league leaders Inter Milan, who play at Siena on Sunday.
Del Piero was tripped in the box by Marco Biagianti before sending goalkeeper Ciro Polito the wrong way from 12 yards to earn the visitors a point they never looked likely to secure, despite dominating possession and territory.
"I think we deserved this result, we created a lot of chances and were pushing forward," said Del Piero. "We've come back well after the break, we're satisfied enough.
"We need to be a bit tougher and more determined. Tonight we weren't as clinical as them. They came out firing and were spurred on by the home crowd."
Juve had the first clear chance of the game on 11 minutes but centre-back Nicola Legrottaglie headed a Del Piero corner over the bar.
The visitors were made to pay on the quarter-hour mark as Gionathan Spinesi brilliantly flicked home a cross from Giuseppe Mascara at the near post after narrowly beating the offside trap.
Catania had another good chance on 28 minutes but Legrottaglie bravely threw himself in front of Biagianti's dipping volley, which appeared to hit him full in the face.
He slumped to the ground and received lengthy treatment before he was stretchered off but television replays clearly showed the ball cannoning off his shoulder.
Juve should have scored a minute before the break but league top scorer David Trezeguet headed a great chance wide from Hassan Salihamidzic's right wing cross.
Del Piero went close with a spectacular bicycle kick from substitute Marco Marchionni's cross but his effort flew over the bar on 56 minutes.
Del Piero should have scored on 64 minutes but somehow directed a header from eight yards wide of the post.
Earlier in the day, Reggina missed the chance to move out of the relegation zone after failing to hold onto a lead at fellow strugglers Empoli in a 1-1 draw.
Reggina remain second from bottom with Empoli moving two points and two places clear of the drop zone following the stalemate.
Empoli gifted the visitors the lead on just two minutes when Simone Missiroli robbed goalkeeper Daniele Balli and Fabio Ceravolo pounced on the loose ball to roll it into an empty net.
But the hosts were back on level terms just three minutes later after Bruno Cirillo brought down Antonio Busce in the box and Luca Saudati converted from the spot.
Saudati could have won it for his side on the quarter-hour mark after he was brought down by Cirillo but he had his penalty saved by Andrea Campagnolo.
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