SERIE A: ROMELU LUKAKU AND GLEISON BREMER SCORE AS JUVENTUS SETTLE FOR A DRAW AGAINST ROMA

NEW DELHI: Juventus missed an opportunity to close the gap on second-placed AC Milan in Serie A after being held to a 1-1 draw by AS Roma on Sunday. The match was fast-paced and entertaining, with Romelu Lukaku opening the scoring for the hosts early on before Gleison Bremer equalized for Juve just after the half-hour mark.

The result leaves Juventus in third place with 66 points, five behind AC Milan, who drew 3-3 with Genoa earlier in the day. Roma sit fifth with 60 points, four behind fourth-placed Bologna. Despite the draw, Roma manager Daniele De Rossi was pleased with his team's attitude and fighting spirit, as he told DAZN: "We're not that happy with draws, but seeing the attitude of the lads, the way they never stop fighting to achieve a result, I am so pleased with that."

Roma's focus now shifts to their Europa League semi-final second leg against Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday, as they aim to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first match. De Rossi emphasized the need for his team to be "energetic and intense, but also intelligent" when facing the German side, acknowledging their ability to exploit space when breaking the first press.

The match between Roma and Juventus was intense, with both teams creating chances throughout. Rasmus Kristensen hit the bar with a header for the hosts, while Lukaku tapped in a rebound from a Bryan Cristante shot to give Roma the lead. Bremer equalized for Juve with a header from a Federico Chiesa cross.

In the closing stages, both goalkeepers made crucial saves to deny their opponents, with Mile Svilar tipping Manuel Locatelli's volley over the bar and Wojciech Szczesny thwarting Tammy Abraham in a one-on-one situation.

De Rossi summed up the match, saying, "With a pinch of luck, we could've won, but so could they. That's the definition of a draw, really. Juve have exceptional players and they deserve credit too."

(Inputs from Reuters)