Serie A wrap: No goals for Juve, Udinese

League leaders Juventus dropped points with a 0-0 draw away to Chievo on Sunday, which proved to be the day of stalemates in Serie A.

The scoreless encounter at the Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi was one of five 0-0 draws in Italy’s top flight.

Juventus started the match brightly and looked the more dangerous.

In the third minute the in-form Claudio Marchisio tried to find Mirko Vucinic in the box only for Chievo goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino to claim the ball and clear the danger.

Chievo did have their say, as Sergio Pellissier tested Gianlugi Buffon with a free-kick from distance nine minutes in.

French striker Cyril Thereau had the ball in the net for the hosts, but his 20th-minute effort was controversially ruled out for a questionable foul on Andrea Pirlo.

The match drifted until five minutes into the second half when Marchisio almost put the visitors ahead with a powerful drive from the edge of box.

Substitute Emanuele Giaccherini also went close for Juve with a long-range effort of his own soon afterwards.

And with 20 minutes remaining, substitute Alessandro Del Pierro struck the woodwork with a header from Simone Pepe’s cross.

Despite the visitors enjoying more of the second-half chances, it was Chievo who had the last opportunity to win the match.

They were denied by referee Andrea de Marco, who waived away a legitimate penalty claim when Sergio Pellissier was felled in the area by Giorgio Chiellini.

Juve remain unbeaten in the league with 12 points from six matches played so far this season.

They are level on points with Udinese, who were held 0-0 at Atalanta.

The other stalemates took place in Siena’s match away to Cagliari, Genoa’s home game against Lecce and Fiorentina’s trip to Cesena.

Ironically, it was struggling Bologna who bucked the trend with their first victory of the season.

They managed a 2-0 win at promoted Novara courtesy of strikes from Gaston Ramirez and Robert Acquafresca.