Rome: Italian Serie A leaders Juventus extended their unbeaten record in the current football season after they fought back to draw 3-3 with hosts Napoli.
Napoli had a dream start as they raced to a 2-0 lead before the break, but suffered a nightmarish ending after conceding two goals in the last 18 minutes Tuesday.
Marek Hamsik opened the scoring for the hosts before Goran Pandev scored the second. Alessandro Matri pulled one back for Juventus, but Pandev`s second restored the two-goal lead before Marcelo Estigarribia and Simone Pepe scored late to earn a draw.
Napoli head coach Walter Mazzarri blamed his side`s poor showing in the second half on fatigue.
"We had a spectacular first half while our strength held out, but unfortunately we paid the price for the many fixtures. When the games notch up, you pay for it," Mazzarri was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
"I didn`t want the half-time break to come, as our enthusiasm could have kept us going for another 15 minutes. When the scoreline became 3-1 after Pandev`s goal, I honestly thought we had won it, even if we were struggling in terms of stamina," he added.
Juventus head coach Antonio Conte praised his side`s perseverance.
"There were some very strong responses in terms of character. Aside from the head, legs and tactics, without heart you cannot fight back and put a game like this back on track," he said.
IANS
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.