Inter Milan and Juventus share Sunday's spoils

An attack-minded Juventus squad spoiled Inter Milan's hopes of victory and a chance to leapfrog Roma and Fiorentina for Serie A's top spot with a resilient effort Sunday at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.

The match ended in a scoreless draw, but not without incident. Massimiliano Allegri's lot were the better team over the 90 minutes, especially in a second-half rife with the attacking impetus of Juan Cuadrado and the fancy footwork of Paul Pogba.

Despite the best attempts of Juve's attacking core, they couldn't find the finish necessary to swing the tie, and the gaffer will likely have to field several questions as to why he opted for Simone Zaza up top over the young Paulo Dybala, who replaced the lumbering Italian in the 78th minute.

Zaza's movement was reminiscent of a plastic bag blowing in the wind, without purpose and function, giving little indication of its destination.

A nearly inconsequential first half noted more for a slew of physical, if not violent, tackles was highlighted by a lunging save from veteran Juventus shot-stopper Gianluigi Buffon.

The 37-year-old Buffon thwarted a right-footed effort from Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, deflecting the shot against the bar to keep the score level at zero.

Inter midfielder Felipe Melo was lucky not to see a second yellow in the 36th minute for a hack on Juventus' Sami Khedira in the centre circle that was emblematic of a hard-nosed first interval littered with fierce tackles.

(Courtesy: @DomenicoGram)

The point will do very little for either side, as Inter move into a tie with Roma on 17 points, but continue to sit third on goal differential, as the four-time defending Serie A champions still languish in 14th, one point shy of AC Milan, Palermo, and Genoa.

Juventus will now move their focus to Wednesday's Champions League match against Borussia Moenchengladbach, while Inter can spend their week ruing Sunday's missed opportunity.