da aviator aposta： Weston McKennie and Juventus have handed the advantage in the Serie A title race right to Inter after slipping up in a 1-1 draw with Empoli.

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10-man Juve settle for one point at home vs EmpoliMcKennie starts in midfieldWeah comes on to make heroic tackleGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Juventus found themselves up against it early as Arkadiusz Milik earned himself a red card within the first 20 minutes. A foul from the striker led to a VAR review, with the referee determining that Milik went in with his studs up, earning his early trip to the locker room.

After navigating the first half, Juve really began to find their stride in the second, attacking a bit more despite their disadvantage. Eventually, they were rewarded, as Milik's strike partner Dusan Vlahovic fired home from close range to net his 12th goal of the Serie A season. He sits second in the league in scoring, although that's a distant second behind Lautaro Martinez's 18 goals for Inter.

Empoli, though, weren't finished as the visitors stormed back for an equalizer. Youngster Tomasso Baldanzi, recently linked with a move up the ladder to Roma, picked out a corner in the 70th minute, leaving Wojciech Szczesny no chance as Empoli made it 1-1.

The bianconeri's opposition looked the more likely to score from that point on but neither team could find the breakthrough, leaving everyone involved relatively disappointed with a 1-1 draw.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

With the draw, Juventus maintain their lead atop Serie A, but that advantage is in severe danger. The Old Lady have played two more games than title rivals Inter, who sit just two points behind Juve, despite playing those two fewer games.

The Bianconeri, though, will have a chance to protect their lead next weekend when they visit Inter in what is the marquee match of the Serie A season so far.

GettyUSMNT IMPACT

McKennie, as per usual, got the start in midfield, but like the rest of his Juve teammates, was forced into playing a more cautious game due to the red card. McKennie, though, was a catalyst in their opener, with his fantastic run down the right side kickstarting the sequence that led to Vlahovic's finish.

Tim Weah, meanwhile, remains a backup for the time being – although he was tossed into the fray in the 59th minute as the Bianconeri's first sub. The USMNT winger replaced Fabio Miretti and provided a bit of life as Juve pushed forward, with his cross nearly leading to a scoring chance in the 77th minute.

Weah's best move, though, was a heroic tackle on Matteo Cancellieri, as the USMNT star slid in to stop a one-on-one chance late in the match.

Getty ImagesGOAL'S RATINGS

Weston McKennie (6/10):

Defended as well as he could, but didn't have the freedom to roam which makes him so dangerous. Even so, his run early in the second half set up Juve's opener, so a solid day overall.

Tim Weah (7/10):
He isn't neccesarily known for his defending, but his slide tackle will go down as a big moment for Juve. Added a bit in the attack, too, so it's easy to say that Weah did make an impact on the game off the bench.