Juventus missed the opportunity to put some pressure on Serie A leaders Inter Milan as they went down to Bari.

Riccardo Meggiorini put Bari ahead in the seventh minute only for David Trezeguet to bring Juve level midway through the first half.

Paulo Barreto ensured Bari led at the interval as he earned and scored a penalty in the 44th minute.

The home side then survived a deluge of pressure before former Juve midfielder Sergio Almiron sealed the win in the 86th minute to lift them to within one point of fourth-placed Parma and six behind Juve with their first win over the Bianconeri since 1990.

Juve remain five points adrift of Inter, who can move eight points clear with a win at Atalanta tomorrow.

Backed by the biggest crowd of the season at the Stadio San Nicola, Bari got off to a dream start with Meggiorini putting them ahead after only seven minutes.

The former Juve youth player got a lucky bounce as he blocked Claudio Marchisio's clearance on the edge of the penalty area and he got another break when his shot deflected off Nicola Legrottaglie past Gianluigi Buffon.

Leonardo Bonucci almost made it two in the 23rd minute when he headed over the crossbar just seconds before Juve levelled.

Diego held off Andrea Masiello before shooting from 20 yards. Bari goalkeeper Jean-Francois Gillet spilled his shot out to Trezeguet, who tucked it into the back of the net.

Juve then took control of the game, creating several chances to go ahead before one of numerous Bari counter-attacks ended when Fabio Cannavaro tripped Barreto inside the penalty area.

Barreto stepped up himself to convert the spot-kick and give Bari the half-time lead.

It was one-way traffic in the second half with Juve looking to get back in the game, but they found Gillet in extraordinary form to deny them.

Inaccuracy also hindered the Bianconeri's efforts with Tiago twice missing the target when well placed.

Bari waited patiently for their chances on the break and they were a threat each time they managed to move forward.

Meggiorini came close to a third in the 67th minute, but Buffon made an instinctive save on the line.

The referee then gifted Juve a chance to equalise when he was taken in by Fabio Grosso's dive over the leg of Masiello just inside the penalty area, but justice was done when Diego lifted the resulting spot-kick over the crossbar.

One of Juve's chances should have found the back of the net as they relentlessly attacked, but they were not rewarded for their efforts.

And even Almiron looked apologetic after he netted Bari's third with a speculative 30-yard effort in the 86th minute to seal the win for the Apulians.