Juventus manager Antonio Conte has refused to criticise his players after they failed to defeat mid-table Chievo on home soil.

The Old Lady took an early lead through Paolo De Ceglie before Boukary Drame hit a late deflected equaliser in the 1-1 draw.

Speaking to the club's website, Conte said: "It's a shame because we could have and should have won this game. It seemed like we struggled when looking for a goal and often left space for them to hit on the counter.

"Unfortunately, we only had one day to prepare for the encounter and I had to pick certain players who were involved in their respective international fixtures during the week."

Juventus were relegated and stripped of their title in 2006 after being implicated in a match-fixing scandal. Since returning to Serie A in 2007, the Turin side have not finished above third-place.

They currently sit second, just three points below AC Milan with two games in hand, and Conte believes that his players are overachieving.

He added: "I can't criticise the lads, I must thank them on a daily basis. They've given their all from the start of the season up until now.

"We must be proud of them and can't forget where we've started from. Thanks to everyone's commitment we're performing above our expectations."

Conte, who made over 400 appearances for Juventus as a player, replaced Luigi Delneri as manager in May 2011.