Kalulu Breaks Pisa Resistance as Juventus Climb to Fifth

PISA, ITALY — Juventus climbed to fifth place in the Serie A standings with a 0-2 victory over 19th-placed Pisa, though the Bianconeri needed 73 minutes to break down their resilient hosts at the Arena Garibaldi. Pierre Kalulu's close-range finish finally unlocked a stubborn Pisa defense before Kenan Yildiz added gloss in stoppage time, condemning the Nerazzurri to their seventh defeat of a difficult campaign.

The breakthrough arrived in the 73rd minute when Kalulu pounced from very close range, drilling his right-footed shot into the bottom left corner after Pisa failed to clear a dangerous Juventus attack. The French defender's opportunism rewarded his side's sustained pressure, which had seen them pepper Adrian Semper's goal throughout the afternoon. The relief was palpable among the traveling supporters as Juventus finally converted their territorial dominance into a tangible advantage. Deep into stoppage time, Yildiz put the result beyond doubt with a composed finish from the left side of the six-yard box, converting Jonathan David's assist following a devastating fast break that caught Pisa's desperate push forward.

Juventus dominated the ball with 59.3% possession, pinning Pisa back for long stretches and dictating the tempo from midfield. Khéphren Thuram and Manuel Locatelli controlled the center of the park, though Locatelli's afternoon was marred by a 53rd-minute yellow card for a foul on Simone Canestrelli. Pisa's defensive organization, marshaled by Canestrelli and Antonio Caracciolo, frustrated the visitors repeatedly, with Caracciolo also picking up a booking in the 76th minute. Lloyd Kelly came agonizingly close to opening the scoring when his left-footed effort struck the left post in the 64th minute, while Mattéo Tramoni hit the right post for Pisa moments earlier, demonstrating that the home side posed occasional threats on the counter.

Juventus's pressure yielded 8 corners and 15 total shots, with 7 finding the target, yet Pisa's goalkeeper was kept busy, making 5 saves to keep his side in contention until Kalulu's breakthrough. Semper produced particularly impressive stops from Edon Zhegrova's long-range efforts and Manuel Locatelli's powerful strike in the 58th minute. The shot statistics told the story of Juventus's dominance—Pisa managed just 8 attempts with none troubling Michele Di Gregorio, who enjoyed a quiet afternoon between the posts. The match grew increasingly fractious as Pisa's frustration mounted, with four yellow cards shown to the home side including bookings for Isak Vural, Caracciolo, and Tramoni.

The turning point arrived when Juventus manager introduced fresh legs in the 60th minute, bringing on Jonathan David and Edon Zhegrova for Loïs Openda and Manuel Locatelli. The substitutions injected renewed energy into the visitors' attack, with Zhegrova immediately testing Semper from distance. The tactical adjustment stretched Pisa's tiring defense, creating the space for Kalulu's decisive intervention just 13 minutes after the changes. Weston McKennie and Andrea Cambiaso provided width and industry throughout, while Teun Koopmeiners orchestrated play from deeper positions until his 86th-minute substitution.

Looking ahead, Pisa will travel to face Genoa on January 3 as they desperately seek points to climb away from the relegation zone.