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Juve out of race for fourth |
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Catania survived a second-half onslaught as they held Juventus to a draw which saw the Turin giants' Champions League hopes come to an end.
The home side took the lead in the first half through Matias Silvestre and denied the visitors with a spirited defensive display after the break.
Claudio Marchisio brought the sides level in the second half but the visitors could not make their dominance pay and they almost suffered a late blow when Maxi Lopez saw his effort kept out by Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.
The home side had the first chance of the game after 16 minutes when Maxi's right-foot shot was saved by Buffon.
Four minutes later Juventus striker Alessandro Del Piero was through one on one with keeper Mariano Andujar who kept calm and got the better of the encounter.
Catania were ahead after 24 minutes as Silvestre scrambled the loose ball home after Buffon had pulled off a diving save.
Del Piero was presented with a chance to get Juventus back in the game when he hit a right foot shot on the turn but he was denied by a fine save from Andujar.
Catania went close to extending their lead when a diving header from Matias Silvestre went narrowly wide of the goal to leave the home side ahead by one goal at the break.
Juventus eventually got themselves back on level terms seven minutes into the second half.
Marchisio had set up the chance when he broke his way through the Catania defence and he was able to take the opportunity with a left foot shot.
Juventus pressed in a bid to get what would have been a winning goal but could not quite make their chances tell.
With 58 minutes gone Vincenzo Iaquinta's right-foot shot from the edge of the Catania box went narrowly wide.
Juventus went close once more as they tried to convert their possession into a winning goal but again failed to find the target.
A free-kick from a good position by Diego sent the ball narrowly over the bar as Catania survived another chance.
The visitors were again denied when Andujar got down well to save a mis-hit volley from Marchisio who was looking for his second goal of the game.
Marchisio had seen his shot kept out by Andujar and the rebound fell to Giorgio Chiellini but his follow-up effort went over the bar.
The home side had worked hard to repel all Juventus attacks and they nearly got their reward when Maxi went close in the dying seconds.
But his right-foot effort from close range forced a great save out of Buffon who made sure his side at least got a draw from the game.
However, the point was not enough for Juventus who had gone into the game needing all three if they were to keep their Champions League qualification hopes alive.
The point all but secured Catania's Serie A survival as they are six points above the bottom three with two games to go and with a better goal difference than those teams in the relegation places.
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