Juventus\u2019s Serie A title hopes were dealt a blow as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by relegation-battling Lecce on Saturday, with the hosts coming from behind but failing to win after Jonathan David had a Panenka-style penalty saved.<\/p>\n
Juventus remain fifth on 33 points, five off the leaders, Milan, who have played a game less. Lecce<\/a> are 16th on 17 points, five points above the relegation zone.<\/p>\n The home side dominated the opening half, creating a host of chances but went in behind at the break after Lameck Banda pounced on a wayward pass to give Lecce the lead on the stroke of half-time.<\/p>\n Juventus equalised four minutes after the break, Yildiz\u2019s shot taking a deflection and the ball falling to Weston McKennie who fired past Falcone. Lecce faced wave after wave of Juventus attacks and the visitors conceded a penalty for Mohamed Kaba\u2019s handball in blocking David\u2019s shot.<\/p>\n Yildiz handed the ball to David but the Canada forward sent a tame Panenka-style effort down the middle and the diving Falcone had time to raise his foot to make the save. \u201cDavid is a penalty taker, he strikes them very well and he made the right choice,\u201d said the Juventus manager, Luciano Spalletti.<\/p>\n \u201cPenalties get missed. If someone else had missed, it would have been the same. Next time I\u2019ll probably step in too, because I like making decisions, but these things happen during a match. It wasn\u2019t a favour just to let him score, he has to score because he\u2019s the penalty taker.\u201d<\/p>\n Falcone denied David a late winner with a fine save, Yildiz hit the post in added time and the final whistle was met with a chorus of boos from the Juventus fans.<\/p>\n There was no happy homecoming for Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini as his side lost 1-0 at his former club Atalanta, with the visitors in danger of losing touch in the Serie A title race after a fourth loss in six games.<\/p>\n Gasperini spent nine seasons at Atalanta but his first return to Bergamo ended in disappointment and Roma<\/a> slip to fifth, level on 33 points with fourth-placed Juventus and five behind leaders Milan who have played one game fewer.<\/p>\n Atalanta, who move to eighth in the standings on 25 points, took a 12th-minute lead when Giorgio Scalvini bundled the ball over the line from a corner and the hosts had another first-half goal ruled out for offside.<\/p>\n Roma, outplayed for much of the opening half, improved after the break but failed to find an equaliser which would have earned Gasperini\u2019s side their first draw of the season across all competitions<\/p>\n