Juventus pull clear in Italian title race
turin — 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 on Saturday.
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.
“It was important to get back to winning ways against Milan, who are in good shape. Wins like this send a signal.” 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. —