Juventus were held to a goalless draw at mid-table Sampdoria on Sunday.

There were chances aplenty at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, but luck was in short supply for both sides as they settled for a point each.

Juve join the fifth-placed Inter Milan on 35 points, two behind the top four as the race for European football begins to warm up.

The visitors were the first to threaten after nine minutes but Simone Pepe was unable to find his range from distance.

Samp had to wait 25 minutes for a decent chance, and when it came Reto Ziegler was wasteful from the edge of the area.

Juve should have gone ahead five minutes later through Carvalho Amauri, but he missed an open goal from close range following a perfect cross from Pepe.

The home side made a better start to the second half but another chance went begging, this time for Giampaolo Pazzini, who fired wide from a few yards out.

Pepe was guilty of a similar miss for Juventus after 66 minutes, poking Alessandro Del Piero's low cross past the right post.