Juventus 2-2 Napoli - Juventus fight back for point

Posted Sunday, May 22, 2011 by PA

Juventus twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw at home to Champions League qualifiers Napoli on the final day of the Serie A season.

Goals from Christian Maggio and Cristiano Lucarelli had given the visitors the lead on two occasions but Giorgio Chiellini and Alessandro Matri levelled the scores.

The result means Juventus finish seventh while Napoli had already made sure of third place with only the Milan duo finishing above them.

Juve started the game well and Luca Toni almost gave them the lead in the fifth minute but his header dropped just wide of the post.

Veteran Alessandro Del Piero then forced the first real save from Morgan De Sanctis in the Napoli goal before Toni again headed wide.

But Walter Mazzarri's side came back into the game and took the lead midway through the first half when Maggio headed home Jose Ernesto Sosa's free-kick.

The hosts reacted well to falling a goal behind and Del Piero came close twice in a two-minute spell after half an hour. He forced a smart save from De Sanctis before striking the post with a 25-yard free-kick moments later.

The equaliser came early in the second half as Chiellini finished from a tight angle in the 46th minute.

Toni and Del Piero continued to cause the Napoli defence trouble and both came close again before Lucarelli put the visitors ahead for a second time.

The on-loan Parma striker scored in the 70th minute with a well-placed header from Ezequiel Lavezzi's corner kick as Napoli looked to inflict Juve's 11th home league defeat of the season.

But Matri scored a second equaliser with seven minutes remaining after smart work by Alberto Aquilani to earn the home side a share of the spoils.