Dybala inspires, Higuain scores

Gonzalo Higuain bagged a brace for the 32nd consecutive Serie A home win, but it was Paulo Dybala who inspired Juventus to beat Chievo.

The Bianconeri rested Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and Miralem Pjanic, while Mario Mandzukic and Marko Pjaca were injured ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final with Barcelona. The Flying Donkeys missed Gennaro Sardo, Nicola Rigoni and Alessandro Gamberini, but were coming off two consecutive defeats.

Chievo have beaten Juventus only once in 30 competitive meetings, a 1-0 home result in January 2010, along with 21 defeats and eight draws.

Gigi Buffon made history with his 616th Serie A appearance, second only to Paolo Maldini’s 647. It was Rolando Maran’s 100th game on the Chievo bench.

Sami Khedira’s snapshot tested

Serie A

Yesterday Empoli-Pescara ..............................1-1 Atalanta-Sassuolo..........................1-1 Juventus-Chievo ............................2-0 Today Andrea Seculin and Riccardo Meggiorini failed to make the most of an Alex Sandro error. Paulo Dybala’s powerful strike was fingertipped out from under the bar by Seculin after a misplaced pass on the edge of the box.

Dybala seemed fired up and created the opening goal, as he skipped past Ivan Radovanovic down the right and pulled back for Gonzalo Higuain to swing the right boot from 11 yards.

Khedira couldn’t quite steer the Juan Cuadrado cross on target, but Dybala was truly inspired, as he managed to nutmeg Bostjan Cesar for a through ball to Cuadrado, the shot charged down.

After the restart Gigi Buffon had to make his first real save, getting down at the near post to beat away a Sergio Pellissier chest and strike and took the sting out of Riccardo Meggiorini’s header.

Serie B

Yesterday

Higuain controlled a ball with his back to goal, spun round and volleyed inches wide from the edge of the box, but Chievo nearly equalised on 72 minutes when Roberto Inglese nodded a Valter Birsa cross just over the bar.

Dybala completed a give-andgo with Khedira only to drill wide, but La Joya set up Higuain for a chance the striker incredibly fired off target from 12 yards when relatively undisturbed.

Chievo had a couple more chances on crosses into the box and Buffon took the sting out of a Valter Birsa strike from the edge of the area.

Just as the Bianconeri seemed to be resting on their laurels, Higuain added a second to secure the points. Dybala dribbled into the box, spread the play for Stephan Lichtsteiner with a nolook pass off the outside of the boot and the low cross found Pipita to tap in.

Lega Pro A

Yesterday