Juventus: Dream shattered by penalty?

The gentle penalty kick by captain Manuel Locatelli in the 87th minute of the 1-1 draw against Sassuolo in Serie A round 30 can be seen as a knockout blow for Juventus in the race for Top 4, as they are now 3 points behind Como.

That was Juventus's third consecutive unsuccessful penalty in Serie A. More notably, Juve have missed 3 out of 5 awarded penalties this season, achieving a success rate of only 40%, the lowest among the 20 Serie A clubs.

The disastrous missed kicks

Among Juve's three misses, only one was harmless when Yildiz's shot did not affect the emphatic 5-0 victory over Sassuolo on 12/1/2026, but the other two may have ruined the season's efforts for the "Old Lady." On 3/1, Jonathan David's shot was too weak, squandering the chance for Juventus to defeat Lecce when the score was 1-1 in the 66th minute. On 21/3, Locatelli repeated the disaster in the 87th minute, missing the opportunity for Juve to beat Sassuolo. Overall, Juve lost 4 points due to two amateurish penalty kicks. In the context of the extremely tight Top 4 race with minimal gaps between teams, this is a huge loss.

Juventus's problem is not only the penalty disaster, but also the fierce controversy over who takes the penalty and why that player takes it at that moment. In the draw against Lecce, Jonathan David was the executor. Locatelli himself, the designated penalty taker after Dusan Vlahovic's injury, handed the ball to David to help the Canadian striker score a "psychological relief" goal, but David missed due to excessive pressure. At that time, public opinion criticized why Locatelli didn't take it, after he had successfully scored a penalty helping Juventus beat Udinese 2-0 in the Italian Cup round 1/8. What about this morning? Public opinion again criticized why Locatelli took it instead of Yildiz, who is in high form with 2 goals and 2 assists in just the last 3 matches. People forget that Locatelli scored successfully in the 3-2 win against Galatasaray in the Champions League, and Yildiz, as mentioned, missed the most recent penalty in Serie A.

The fierce criticism from public opinion even made coach Luciano Spalletti furious: "We are going crazy over this issue. Tell us what to do, what to do?". While media reports said Yildiz requested to take it, Spalletti asserted that assigning Locatelli was a decision agreed upon by the whole team. Juve's problem is not who executes, but executing under extreme psychological pressure, anyone can miss.

Champions League dream shattered?

If David and Locatelli's kicks had succeeded instead of being saved by the goalkeeper, Juventus could have gained 4 more points. As a twist of fate, that is exactly the points they need to surpass Como, who just easily beat Pisa 5-0, to enter the Top 4. Juve (54 points) are now 3 points behind Como, but since they lost both head-to-head matches against Como, the first tiebreaker factor in case of equal points, to rank above Fabregas's team, Juve need 4 points, not 3.

That gap may never be closed as only 8 rounds remain in the season. It's not just a points gap, but a gap in form and psychology between the two teams. While Como plays better and better with relaxed psychology, each point is a reward, Juventus struggles under the pressure of having to enter the Top 4 at any cost. The tens of millions of euros from the Champions League ticket are the lifeline for Juve's future plans. Without this money, the club cannot progress.

Competing with Como is difficult, but Juventus also still have to compete with Roma, who, if they defeat Lecce in this morning's match, will be equal in points with Spalletti's team. Roma have endured three disastrous weeks with consecutive defeats, just eliminated from the Europa League by the underestimated fellow team Bologna, but the instinct to fight back when cornered could create a fearsome Roma. Both Como and Roma still have to face Inter, the most hated opponent but now holding all Juventus's hopes, yet Juve themselves also have to play against Atalanta, Bologna, and Milan in the coming days, each match carrying a huge risk of losing points.

It would truly be bitter for Juve if they miss the Champions League ticket just because of 2 missed penalties and the bizarre controversies over who takes them, but in the game of steel nerves, that might be the price they have to pay.