Claudio Villa/Getty ImagesAndrea Pirlo gave Juventus the lead with another goal via free kick.

2013 has not been kind to Juventus so far. While the Old Lady has managed to score first in both of her Serie A matches this year, she has gone on to concede silly goals to strip her of the gap she boasted at the top of the table back in December. With Lazio winning against Atalanta, only three points separate Juventus and the second placed team.

- Match report: Parma 1-1 Juventus
- VIDEO: Parma 1-1 Juventus (UK and Ireland only)

A first half that exhibited acceptance of the current situation, Antonio Conte's men were not fighting for the ball in a manner we have grown accustomed to in the past year. Juventus were content to allow Parma to pass the ball around while holding their positions in order to avoid conceding. The result was that there was no willingness to impose control and strength to run the game. Instead, the opposition were respected and allowed to implement their tactics to match Juventus and challenge them as equals.

Parma were very impressive on the day, demonstrating exactly why they have gone undefeated at home this season. Defensively organised, each of Juve's creative outlets were closely marked while even the attackers were quick to track back and aid the back line. Defending in numbers, any Juventus player that did manage to slip through were blocked by Antonio Mirante. The Parma goalkeeper proved effective on the night, making several important saves to deny the Old Lady from grabbing a goal, especially in the first half. Aided by the fact Juve's strikers tended to aim at him, he remained alert throughout and imposed his authority at the back.

While Juventus still look nervous in defence without their beloved Giorgio Chiellini, Parma failed to expose them effectively in the first half. Ishak Belfodil's trickery and positioning proved challenging for the Juve back line while Jonathan Biabiany's pace thrilled the home crowd and overwhelmed his markers. However, despite all the effort made in creating chances, Parma lacked faith in their ability to convert their chances early on.

Juventus started the second half with more determination. Paul Pogba, who was impressive at certain stages in the first half, still irked his coach with his lazy approach to the game at times as he failed to fight for every ball and cover space. However, he improved in the latter half and showed off his athletic ability to restrict Parma's play and contributed significantly to the attack. His performances, combined with Juve's eager start after the half time whistle, allowed the team greater control and were rewarded with an Andrea Pirlo goal scored from a free kick. The squad may struggle to score from open play, but they can always rely on either him or Sebastian Giovinco to grab a goal from set pieces.

After conceding a goal, the home side struggled to get back in the game as the Old Lady imposed her style of play. Despite better attacking movements, Juve suffered from imprecision, one too many heavy touches and poor crossing. Accuracy is proving to be quite the obstacle for the Serie A champions recently while Parma’s organised defence highlighted the need for a world-class striker upfront for Juventus.

Parma's versatility and determination to defend with all their might kept Juve at bay. Without a game changer up top capable of creating space and exploiting weaknesses, penetration will often prove a challenge for the Bianconeri. Mirko Vucinic's inability to hold on to the ball, in addition to the lack of chemistry between Fabio Quagliarella and Giovinco, robbed Juve of the chance to win the match.

Additionally, without both Chiellini and Kwado Asamoah, Juventus have lacked defensive solidity on the left side of the pitch. While the former lends his physicality to the cause and the capability of appearing omnipresent, the latter proves vital when tackling the opposition and running at the opponent. Martin Caceres proved to be a better option than Federico Peluso at the back, but he is unable to offer the stability and leadership that is currently missing from the back line.

Arturo Vidal restored the intensity in midfield making his presence felt. Retrieving lost balls and fighting back for possession, the one criticism of the player would be his tendency to pass backwards or laterally. The Chilean needed to look forward more to find that vertical pass that would aid the forward line, but instead he often opted for the safe pass.

Conte, judging on his consistent kicking and screaming, was not pleased with what he was forced to watch. Outplayed in the first half, Juventus did prove better in the second. However, the players' inability to cope with Parma's quick transitions, combined with their limitations in dealing with the long ball, defensively exposed various weaknesses that forced a draw.

The sooner Juventus recoup their top players, the better. The team must recover their willingness to fight throughout the match and the precision that allows them to boast superiority. Until then, the Old Lady will have to endure more hardship on the road to success.

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