Parma 1 - Juventus 0
Saturday 23rd March 2002
Juventus suffered a potentially devastating blow to their Scudetto challenge on Saturday night when a last-gasp Sabri Lamouchi goal sent them spinning to defeat.
Injuries to Alessio Tacchinardi and Igor Tudor added to the gloom for the Turin giants, who missed a host of second-half chances before falling apart at the death.
Parma's goal was sweetly struck from just outside the area by Lamouchi, giving Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon no chance as he plunged to his left.
And it could easily have been 2-0 by the end, with Buffon fully extended once more to keep out a free-kick from Marco di Vaio.
The first half was comfortably one of the worst spectacles Serie A has produced this season, with Juventus struggling to string passes together and Pavel Nedved off the pace.
Parma showed little attacking intent and were apparently happy to play for a draw in their bid to avoid relegation, thereby prolonging a Serie A stay which began in 1990.
Matters livened up after the break, though, when both coaches were forced to introduce substitutes.
Injured playmaker Tacchinardi made way for Tudor, himself returning gingerly from a four-month lay-off, while Juve boss Marcello Lippi also replaced the out-of-sorts Nicola Amoruso with Marcelo Zalayeta and wing-back Gianluca Pessotto with holding midfielder Maresca.
Chances suddenly began flowing, the first coming for Juve from a Nedved free-kick on 49 minutes which Matteo Ferrari failed to clear and Fabio Cannavaro was forced to desperately clear.
Parma playmaker Hidetoshi Nakata, enjoying one of his best games for the club, then picked out Emiliano Bonazzoli, who jumped well and headed goalwards, only for Buffon to save.
Juve made their best opening of the game on 67 minutes when Nedved shot powerfully from the edge of the area, only for Claudio Taffarel to touch on to the post with his finger-tips.
Parma boss Pietro Carmignani reacted by throwing on Hakan Sukur for Bonazzoli and withdrawing Matias Almeyda for Stephan Appiah. And the changes galvanised the home side, who suddenly looked particularly dangerous on the break.
Di Vaio forced two saves from Buffon around the 75th minute, then Nakata crossed for Jenilson Junior, who missed out. The Juve goalkeeper saved at Nakata's feet on 80 minutes amid appeals for a penalty, but Parma made their pressure tell in the end.
Lamouchi, having shaken off the limping Tudor, thumped home to the delight of 30,000 fans in the Stadio Ennio Tardini and now Juve must pray for a draw when fellow title protagonists Roma and Internazionale do battle on Sunday.
Parma: Taffarel, Cannavaro, Benarrivo, Sartor, Junior, Ferrari, Lamouchi, Nakata, Almeyda (Appiah 68), Di Vaio, Bonazzoli (Sukur 68)
Juventus: Buffon, Ferrara, Pessotto, Iuliano, Zenoni, Conte, Nedved, Tacchinardi (Tudor 46), Davids, Trezeguet, Amoruso (Zalayeta 57)
