[BOILER]

Ten-man Juventus snatched an unlikely point in a 1-1 draw with Serie A leaders Internazionale thanks to Zdenek Grygera's injury time equaliser in Turin.


Mario Balotelli's 64th minute opener had looked like sending Inter 13 points clear at the top of the table, especially after Juve were reduced to 10 men following the dismissal of Tiago on 76 minutes.

But Grygera pounced in the first minute of time added on to peg back Inter, although the champions remain 10 points ahead and well on course to claim a fourth straight Scudetto.

Despite their late heroics, Juve might even end the weekend in third place, should Milan beat Torino by two clear goals in Sunday's late kick-off.

Balotelli swooped in the second half to break the deadlock, the 18-year-old finishing off a lightning quick break involving Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Sulley Muntari.

The youngster was also involved in the sending off incident with just under a quarter-of-an-hour remaining. Having already put Inter into the lead, Balotelli believed he was entitled to indulge in some showboating by the touchline. Tiago disagreed and hacked him to the floor to leave the referee no choice but to brandish a straight red.

The goalscorer clearly enjoys making headlines, and he nearly found an opener earlier than he did following a mix-up in the Inter defence allowed him to run at goal in the 10th minute.

But Gianluigi Buffon was quick off his line and managed to get enough on the ball to slow down its progress, allowing Tiago to get back in time to clear off the line.

It proved Inter's only real chance of the first half while Juve, buoyed by a vociferous home crowd, hustled and bustled at the other end.

But still the hosts could not find a way through the champions' back line.

Grygera should probably have done better just after the half-hour mark when he ballooned over the bar from close range and Marco Marchionni's touch let him down just a minute later, allowing Julio Cesar to make a crucial intervention when the midfielder was through on goal.

Inter had looked dangerous after the break and once Juve went a man as well as a goal down, a late rally appeared unlikely.

Indeed, Claudio Ranieri's side would have gone further behind had Buffon not been in such imperious form in between the sticks.

The Italy international made a string of saves to deny Stankovic twice, Ibrahimovic and substitute Julio Cruz.

But there was nothing he could do about Grygera's late strike, the Czech defender rising to nod home from a corner.

"Inter have shown today why we are at the top of the table, why we are the best, why we are the strongest," coach Jose Mourinho said.

"With the goal we marked everyone but Grygera appeared like an extra man in the area," Mourinho added.

"The game, however, was under our control. Juve's joy at the end of the match is a great demonstration of their respect for us."