Juve pull clear in Serie A
LEONARDO BONUCCI scored on his return to Juventus but could not stop the Italian champions’ march towards a seventh straight title with a 3-1 win over AC Milan yesterday.
Paulo Dybala opened the scoring after eight minutes with Juan Cuadrado marking his comeback from injury with the second and Sami Khedira adding a third late on as Juventus moved four points clear of Napoli whose hopes were hit by a 1-1 draw at strugglers Sassuolo.
Defender Bonucci, 30, left Turin last summer for Milan after falling out with coach Massimiliano Allegri and was jeered by the hostile crowd in the Allianz Statium.
“I’m happy for Bonucci that he got a goal, but I’m even happier that Juventus won,” said Allegri.
Dybala’s opener left a diving Gianluigi Donnarumma without a chance after the Milan keeper had earlier cleared a Gonzalo Higuain snapshot.
Milan pushed forward with Andre Silva heading wide, before Bonucci rose to nod in the equaliser – the first Serie A goal conceded by Juventus in 2018.
But the champions cranked up the tempo with Khedira setting up substitute Cuadrado whose diving header beat Donnarumma on 79 minutes with the German midfielder finishing off a Dybala cross for the third.
It was Gennaro Gattuso’s side’s first defeat of 2018 ending a ten-match unbeaten run.
“In the end fatigue took over and they had great players and they took advantage of it,” said Gattuso.
Napoli’s campaign has faltered in recent weeks with just one win in their last four games.
And they missed a golden opportunity to stay in touch with the leaders against Sassuolo who are hovering above the drop zone.
Matteo Politano put Sassuolo ahead after 22 minutes with Maurizio Sarri’s side saved by a Rogerio own-goal with ten minutes to go.
In the fight for Champions League places, Mauro Icardi scored a brace in a 3-0 win over Verona as Inter Milan closed to within two points of third-placed Roma who were held 1-1 by Bologna.
Lazio are just outside the Champions League places for next season in fifth after surviving a scare to thrash rock-bottom Benevento 6-2. – AFP