Juventus Vs Lecce 1-1 Draw After David Penalty Saved

Juventus were denied victory by a crucial save from Wladimiro Falcone, as Lecce held Luciano Spalletti's team to a 1-1 draw in Serie A at the Allianz Stadium. Jonathan David missed a second-half penalty,

while Lameck Banda and Weston McKennie produced the goals during a tense match that extended several statistical trends for both sides.

The result meant Juventus recorded their 22nd Serie A draw since the start of last season, more than any other team in the competition. Juventus also scored against Lecce for an 11th straight league meeting, setting a new club sequence in this fixture, although Lecce again avoided defeat in Turin for the first time in an away clash between the clubs since May 2012.

The key moment arrived in the 66th minute, when Mohamed Kaba was punished for handball after a VAR review. Juventus appeared poised to complete a full comeback from the spot, yet David's low effort lacked power and Falcone blocked it with an outstretched leg, preserving the 1-1 scoreline and underlining Lecce's resilience.

The hosts had already gone close several times before that incident. Jonathan David saw an early header diverted onto the post by Falcone, while Andrea Cambiaso and Manuel Locatelli both forced further saves as Juventus dominated territory and possession during long spells of the match, especially before half-time.

Against the run of play, Lecce struck first in stoppage time at the end of the opening half. Cambiaso misplaced a pass near his own box, Banda reacted quickly, drove inside past Pierre Kalulu and Bremer, then drilled a powerful finish past the Juventus goalkeeper to give the visitors a surprise advantage at the interval.

Juventus responded swiftly after the restart, equalising just four minutes into the second period. A Lecce corner was cleared, triggering a sharp counter-attack from the hosts. Kenan Yildiz carried the move, his cross took a deflection, and McKennie arrived in the box to guide the ball in and restore parity for Spalletti's side.

The closing stages brought more drama for Juventus and Lecce. In the fourth minute of added time, Yildiz almost produced a winner, bending a shot against the post. The rebound dropped kindly for Lois Openda, but the forward lifted the ball over the bar, leaving Juventus frustrated and ensuring Lecce returned home with a point.

Individual numbers from this Serie A contest highlighted Falcone's growing reputation from the spot. Since joining Lecce for the 2022-23 season, only Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, with six, has saved more penalties in Serie A than Falcone, who now has five. Over the same spell, Falcone has also stopped more penalties away from home than any other goalkeeper, with four.

Goalkeeper	Club	Penalties saved (Serie A since 2022-23)	Penalties saved away
Vanja Milinkovic-Savic	Torino	6	Not specified
Wladimiro Falcone	Lecce	5	4

The importance of Falcone's stop for Lecce and Juventus was underlined by Opta data.

4/5 - Since his 1st season with Lecce (2022/23), only Milinkovic-Savic (6) has saved more penalties in #SerieA than #Falcone (5, level with Meret); over this period, he is the goalkeeper who has saved the most penalties away from home in the competition (4). Shutter.OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) January 3, 2026

For Juventus, David's miss marked a break in a long run of success from the spot. Juventus had converted 14 consecutive Serie A penalties since Dusan Vlahovic failed against Monza in December 2023, but that perfect streak ended here, leaving Spalletti's squad with a draw that reflected both control of play and crucial missed chances.