Juve secure narrow lead from home draw with Genoa

Juventus were held to a 2-2 home draw against Genoa Saturday to move one point clear of Udinese at the top of the Italian Serie A.Alessandro Matri scored a brace for Juve, but Genoa twice came back.The draw only allows Juve to move on to 13 points from seven games, and Udinese can leapfrog them Sunday by winning a home game with promoted Novara.The Turin hosts started the game at the Juventus Stadium at a fast pace and took the lead on six minutes.Claudio Marchisio's fast volley off a low corner kick was deftly deflected by Matri to wrong-foot Sebastien Frey.Juve's Marco Storari, who was keeping goal for the injured international Gianluigi Buffon, made a first easy save when Dario Dainelli fumbled a corner-kick deflection, but was beaten on 31 minutes with the complicity of his defenders.Midfielder Marco Rossi was undisturbed as he nodded home a cross from German Alexander Merkel next to a static Giorgio Chiellini.Before the break, a last chance went begging for Juve as Montenegrin Mirko Vucinic stole a ball and burst into the box only to fire centrally onto Frey.The in-form Merkel opened the second half volleying wide by a hairsbreadth before Matri on 58 minutes stopped and fired into the right corner.Play maker Andrea Pirlo played a crucial, albeit passive, role in the goal by letting a pass from Vucinic roll under his legs to trick the Genoa defenders.Merkel missed another chance when he nodded a cross from Rossi against the bar. Striker Andrea Caracciolo, who came on for Serb Bosko Jankovic, was ruthless when he flicked home from close range with five minutes left."We trusted we could do a good result," Caracciolo said. "I am very happy for the goal. It was important to score my first goal this season."Earlier Saturday, Montenegro striker Stevan Jovetic scored a brace for Fiorentina in a 2-2 home draw against Catania.