The game looks to be all but over as another cheap free-kick is conceded by Juventus, it's all gone south for them in Crotone tonight.
90' +1
Crotone win a free-kick on the edge of their box and the crowd are delighted! Their willingness to defend has been admirable here and there isn't long to go until it's mission complete!
90'
3 minutes added on here, as Juventus lump the ball in the box hoping they can somehow find a route to goal!
89'
Crotone have defended confidently in the latter stages, the pressure isn't getting to them at the moment as they continue to exercise their rear guard.
88'
F. Bernardeschi enters the game and replaces P. Dybala.
Dybala is withdrawn for Bernardeschi, who will be looking to make an impact on his return from injury.
87'
A. Ajeti enters the game and replaces M. Rohdén.
Rohdén is replaced by Ajeti for Crotone.
Cuadrado wins the free-kick, as we take a break for some substitutions.
86'
Juventus are throwing bodies forward now, it seems like they are aware of Napoli's scoreline and are pushing even harder for the win!
85'
Well, I think it's safe to say Barberis won't be taking free-kicks again for a while. His effort soars into row Z as the crowd chuckle away.
84'
S. Lichtsteiner gets yellow.
Yellow card for Lichtsteiner, his late tackle gives Crotone an opportunity from the resulting free-kick.
82'
Napoli are now 4-2 up! It looks like they've secured three points for tonight, as well as momentum for the big game at the weekend. Can Juve get a crucial winner to lift their spirits and regain their 6 point lead at the top?
Minute
Description
81'
One winger finds the other as Costa crosses into Cuadrado, his header is off target as time is running out for Juventus.
79'
Juventus are under pressure now, as Crotone continue to nick the ball of them before they can counter but can't get a shot off to trouble Szczesny!
78'
Another overhead strike, this time from Faraoni and it fumbles wide of the post.
77'
M. Sampirisi enters the game and replaces A. Stoian.
Stoian has been in the wars this evening! His work is done tonight and he'll be replaced by Mario Sampirisi.
76'
Allegri spoke of his desire to exert maximum pressure on Napoli by winning this game ahead of their meeting this weekend, it's not going to plan at the moment though as Juve have faded in the second half, will they be made to pay for fielding a slightly weakened side?
75'
Napoli have taken the lead against Udinese! The pressure is now on Juventus as the gap closes to four points at the top!
73'
M. Benatia gets yellow.
Benatia is booked for a rough tackle on Stoian
70'
What an effort by Matuidi! His left-footed strike is pounded from distance and beaten away for a corner kick by Cordaz.
69'
Juventus could have moved within striking distance of the title by winning tonight, setting up the chance to potentially secure the Championship in their game against Napoli this weekend. They've got some work to do now if that path is still possible!
68'
J. Cuadrado enters the game and replaces S. Sturaro.
Sturaro is replaced by Cuadrado, an instant reaction by Allegri!
65'
S. Nwankwo has scored a goal for Crotone! Assist by M. Trotta.
Trotta gets the assist, he's only just come on!
GOOOOOAAAAL! Simeon Nwankwo! Huge lifeline for Crotone, the ball is whipped in again from the left, bounces around in the box as Juve failed to clear the ball and the striker acrobatically finishes with an overhead kick!
64'
R. Bentancur enters the game and replaces C. Marchisio.
Allegri makes his first change, Marchisio leaves the field of play after a solid performance in the engine room to be replaced by Bentancur.
63'
M. Trotta enters the game and replaces M. Diaby.
Substitution for the home side, Moussa Diaby is replaced by Marcello Trotta
Bentancur is preparing to come on over on the touchline too!
62'
Corner kick to Juventus, they've upped the tempo in the last few minutes...
61'
Costa and Sandro threaten down the left again, this time it comes to nothing though and Sandro's clipped ball in is overhit and out for a goal kick.
58'
Crazy scences as the ball is blocked easily by Juventus defenders after the lay-off, they looked absolutely nowhere near the full ten yards from the ball at any point though!
57'
Indirect free-kick awarded to Crotone here, as Benatia is deemed to have played the ball back to his keeper intentionally! The free-kick will be taken from the corner of the 6 yard box!
54'
Both Dybala and Higuain seem to be growing into the game, as Juve allow Crotone to come forward onto them, looking to hit back using fast breaks.
53'
Great curling ball in from the set play by Dybala, but Crotone clear the ball effectively to prevent a second goal for The Old Lady.
51'
This time Martella's delivery is poor, Juventus set off on a counter attack spearheaded by Dybala, he rolls the ball to Higuain but his attempt is blocked instantly!
48'
Martella opts for the shot instead of the cross this time, his effort hits the sit netting though and it's out for a goal kick, unlucky!
46'
The second half is unerway here as Martella is on the ball early, his contribution is vital for Crotone but they need someone to get on the end of his crosses too!
45'
1 minute of added time here as it looks like we'll head in with Juve 1 goal up, with things going their way elsewhere too.
44'
Douglas Costa cuts in from the left, showing good pace and trickery but the end product isn't there this time as he lashes the ball high and wide, with nobody quite sure what he was trying to do.
Shot on target for Simy! The ball was bobbling around the box before eventually dropping to the striker, who couldn't convert the chance as Szczesny dropped down to collect the ball.
42'
Good news for Juventus too as Napoli trail in their game, meaning as things stand they are 9 points clear at the top of the table!
41'
The home side will be desperate now to avoid conceding another before the referee's whistle for half-time, this feeling is evident in their play too as they are camped on the edge of their box for prolonged periods.
38'
Crotone's front three are playing together for the first time, they've worked hard but the chemistry seems to be lacking in the early moments as they've been struggling to link up throughout the first half.
36'
R. Mandragora gets yellow.
Juventus loanee, Crotone midfielder Mandragora is booked for allegedly pulling the shirt of Dybala, replays show he's touched him but there is very little in it! It's quite unusual to see a player up against his parent club!
35'
Gonzalo Higuain is starting to come to life slowly but surely, he's popping up in pockets of space looking to create a chance for himself to double his side's lead.
32'
Powerful right-footed strike by Higuain from a difficult angle out on the right, gathered by Cordaz diving to his left for a fairly easy save.
30'
Marchisio is starting to pull the strings here as he racks up the touches, spraying the ball about with confidence consistently.
29'
Crotone are gradually dropping deeper as Juventus build confidence, this time Dybala has given the ball away though...
27'
Costa's pace along with the tireless work of Alex Sandro have been a dominant factors so far in this affair.
25'
Juventus are gradually looking better as time ticks on, they aren't creating clear cut chances but look capable of switching gears at any moment. They've already shown all they need is one chance to punish their opponents!
22'
Crotone will be disappointed to be a goal down having only really conceded one major chance, they haven't started too badly so far and the fans are still right behind them!
19'
Martella's service has been really impressive in this first half, Juventus will have to be wary! Corner for the home side now as Benatia clears the cross...
16'
Alex Sandro has scored a goal for Juventus! Assist by Douglas Costa.
GOAL!!!! Juventus open the scoring, it's Alex Sandro with the goal! He's helped on a cross from the left hand side which has flown past the keeper at pace, great header!
Great ball in by Douglas Costa, he's picked out his man with precision and pace, the ball just needed helping on in the direction of the goal.
15'
Douglas Costa has provided 10 assists in all competitions (nine in Serie A). He's looked electric in recent games, can he continue his good run tonight?
12'
Crotone have been productive when they've been in possession, they've spread the ball out to the left hand side on a few occassions, following up with a couple of threatening crosses.
11'
Juventus are started to enjoy the majority of possession now as they settle into the game, key players such as Dybala and Higuain have still be relatively quiet thus far though.
6'
Deep cross in by Martella is defended well by Alex Sandro, as the visitors get themselves out of trouble.
4'
Play resumes and Faraoni is back on, Juve attempt a long ball towards Higuain but the home side were defensively alert and cleared the ball away.
3'
Early stoppage in play here as Faraoni has a facial injury.
2'
Not a great deal to report here in the first couple of minutes, both sides have enjoyed short periods of possession without either defence coming under threat.
1'
We're off! Juventus get us underway here...
Good evening and welcome to our live text commentary coverage of Crotone v Juventus, team news coming up!
The sides head into the match in contrasting positions. Juventus sit comfortably at the top of Serie A, and will look to build on their six point lead at the top over Napoli. Crotone on the other hand, are looming in the relegation zone and need a win against the big dogs to climb out of the dreaded bottom 3.
Both teams head for the locker rooms as the referee whistles for half-time. Juventus will be ecstatic but also wary of how things can turn upside down within seconds after their recent misfortunes in the Champions League. Crotone will look to take advantage of that insecurity but in truth, they've struggled to create clear cut chances as Juventus have looked typically rigid at the back, their substantial attacking threat and depth means that Crotone will be unable to commit men forward looking for a goal without taking risks at the back.
Juventus have plenty of options to turn to on the bench in the second half, with Bernardeschi returning from injury and Cuadrado also looking keen to get involved as he was warming up frequently during the first half! Crotone will be hoping their new front three can combine effectively in the second half, they'll need to be clinical to score against this Juventus defence!
Juventus have an added incentive to hold onto their lead, as Napoli have levelled in their game against Udinese!
Game over! Crotone fans are on their feet around the stadium to cheer their players on, it's not the main storyline tonight but a point for the home team keeps them in with a fighting chance of remaining in Serie A!
That's all from us tonight. A valiant performance from Crotone earns them a point in their quest for survival, big players such as Dybala and Higuain failed to hit the expected heights tonight for Juve - their makeshift central defensive partnership of Rugani and Benatia also failed to remain watertight meaning one goal wasn't enough for the Italian heavyweights this time. No doubt we'll see the return of Chiellini for the Napoli game!
Juventus have crumbled this evening, they lost confidence after Crotone got on level terms and failed in their attempts to get a winner, meaning Napoli are now just four points away from the table-toppers ahead of their meeting this weekend! Juve can no longer secure the title against their rivals now, but a win would be a huge step towards doing so. What a game we have on our hands!
Commentary
More…