MILAN — Juventus secured a much-needed victory but required significant assistance from the goalpost.
The Bianconeri triumphed 2-0 against Udinese, aided by an own goal from the home side’s goalkeeper Maduka Okoye and a strike from Nicolò Savona, with the ball ricocheting off the right post just prior to each goal.
This win marked only Juventus’ second victory in their last six matches across all competitions and propelled them up to third place in the standings ahead of the weekend’s fixtures.
Juventus sits four points behind Serie A front-runner Napoli, who is set to face fourth-placed Atalanta on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Udinese remained in seventh position and could be overtaken by AC Milan, provided the Rossoneri secure a win against Monza later in the day.
Before the match, only two points distinguished Udinese from Juventus.
The scoring began in the 20th minute when Khéphren Thuram exhibited impressive skill as he navigated through the box and managed to nutmeg a defender.
His shot from a tight angle hit the inside of the far right post and deflected off Okoye, giving Juventus the lead.
This would have been a memorable first goal for Thuram in Italy, as he is the younger sibling of Inter Milan’s Marcus Thuram.
Udinese had multiple opportunities to equalize before Juventus extended their lead in the 37th minute.
The same post played a crucial role again when Kenan Yildiz’s attempt deflected off it, paving the way for Savona to score from the rebound.
Udinese thought they had leveled the match early in the second half, but Keinan Davis’ goal was swiftly disallowed due to a foul on Juventus defender Federico Gatti, who collided with goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio as a result of the push.

In other news, Bologna celebrated the return of their captain Lewis Ferguson, who made his comeback 203 days after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Ferguson’s presence helped the team achieve their first home victory, a feat they had not accomplished since he was sidelined.
He received a standing ovation when he entered the pitch in the 82nd minute and was applauded again upon touching the ball shortly thereafter.
Fans displayed banners welcoming him back as well.
Ferguson played a significant role in Bologna’s lone goal in their 1-0 victory over Lecce, assisting in the play down the left that led to Riccardo Orsolini’s header into the far bottom corner with just five minutes remaining.
Last season, Ferguson was instrumental in Bologna’s successful campaign, but following a knee injury sustained on April 13 against Monza, he required surgery and was unable to participate in the European Championship.