Higuain brace conquers Cagliari
Gonzalo Higuain bagged a brace either side of half-time as Juventus conquered 10-man Cagliari 20 at the Stadio Sant’Elia.
Max Allegri reached a milestone, securing his 100th victory for Juve in all competition and the 100th Serie A game on their bench.
The Bianconeri went into this weekend seven points clear at the top of the table after four consecutive victories and stuck with the 4-2-3-1 system, bringing in Claudio Marchisio to rest Miralem Pjanic. Andrea Barzagli was injured, while the hosts had Joao Pedro and Luca Ceppitelli suspended.
Cagliari last beat Juventus with a 2-0 result here in November 2009, followed by three 1-1 draws and 11 defeats, home and away in all competition.
Fabio Pisacane did just enough to put off Mario Mandzukic’s diving header from close range and Daniele Dessena had penalty appeals for an Alex Sandro nudge in the back.
Giorgio Chiellini hacked down Nicolo Barella on the edge of the box and Bruno Alves curled the resulting free kick just wide of the near stick. The Juventus defender was injured during that move and made way for Daniele Rugani.
Stephan Lichtsteiner charged down a Marco Borriello angled drive inside the area, but Juventus took the lead with their first genuine chance.
Marchisio’s ball over the top found Higuain onside, as Pisacane was keeping him level, and Pipita dinked it over the onrushing goalkeeper from a tight angle. It was his sixth consecutive Serie A match on target.
Higuain doubled their lead with a textbook counter-attack from a Cagliari corner at the dawn of the second half. Pipita sparked the move and finished it after Marchisio, Cuadrado from his own half and a Dybala through ball found the Argentine for a precise angled drive off the end of his boot.
Cagliari had a period of pressure, with Barella and Sau efforts charged down inside the area as well as a decisive Leonardo Bonucci tackle on former teammate Mauricio Isla.
Miralem Pjanic came on and practically his first touch saw him clattered by Barella for a second bookable offence, reducing Cagliari to 10 men.
Gigi Buffon had relatively little to do at the Sant’Elia, but when called into action, he pulled out an amazing fingertip save on Pisacane’s swerving half-volley from outside the penalty area. It required remarkable strength to turn it round the post.
At the other end, Mandzukic’s diving header from an Alex Sandro cross whistled wide, but Buffon was rooted to the spot when another Bruno Alves free kick shaved a coat of paint off the upright.
Juventus somehow didn’t score in stoppages with an incredible double opportunity. Mandzukic’s looping header bounced off the bar into the path of Dybala, who nodded it from six yards on the rebound and Rafael miraculously slapped it off the line.
Maran: 'Happy for Inglese'
Rolando Maran is “happy for Roberto Inglese” after his first Serie A hat-trick as Chievo conquered 10-man Sassuolo 3-1.
The afternoon had not started promisingly for Inglese, who had an early penalty saved, but he went on to score his maiden top flight treble.
Before today, he’d never even got more than one goal per game.
“It was not easy,” Maran told Rai Sport. “We saw during the week when Bologna lost to Milan that it’s not always plain sailing when the opposition has someone sent off.
“We conceded a goal on a hopeful cross, but we didn’t lose our heads. We tried to find a way round their defence with patience and not haste.
“I am happy for Inglese, as he works so hard every day to improve and deserves credit for that. He went looking for these three goals and didn’t let his head drop after missing the penalty.
“Considering his talent and mentality, he can achieve great things.”
Roberto Inglese started out by seeing a penalty saved, but ended with his debut Serie A hat-trick as Chievo fought back to beat 10man Sassuolo.
The Neroverdi had finally rediscovered their form as the injury crisis abated following a torrid first six months. The only absentees still were Gregoire Defrel, Davide Biondini, Pol Lirola and Francesco Magnanelli. The Flying Donkeys were unbeaten in two, including a surprise victory away to Lazio. Bostjan Cesar sat out a ban with Sergio Pellissier sidelined.
These sides went into the weekend only two points apart, so a win would let Sassuolo leapfrog Chievo in the standings.
It was the worst possible start for Sassuolo, as within three minutes Tim Letschert was rather harshly sent off for a last man tackle. Roberto Inglese stepped up to take the penalty, but saw it palmed on to the upright by Andrea Consigli.
Instead, 10-man Sassuolo took the lead when Domenico Berardi’s cross-shot bounced off the far post and into the path of Alessandro Matri to finish the move.
Berardi was again inspirational with a remote-controlled long pass over the top for Matteo Politano, who forced Stefano Sorrentino into a tough save.
Inglese made up for his earlier failed penalty by scoring the equaliser, a glancing header at the near post from six yards flashing across the face of goal.
Straight after the restart, Mariano Izco pulled back from the byline and Alberto Aquilani’s attempted interception almost turned into an own goal, thumping the upright.
It was only a warning, as Riccardo Meggiorini’s header from a Valter Birsa free kick was parried into the path of Inglese to tap in the rebound.
Inglese had started the after-
Yesterday Crotone-AS Roma .......................... 0-2 Nianggolan 40’, Dzeko 77’ Inter-Empoli .................................. 2-0 Eder 14’, Candreva 54’ Palermo-Atalanta .......................... 1-3 Conti 19’ (A), Gomez 26’ (A), Chochev 41’ (P), Cristante 79’ (A) Sassuolo-Chievo ............................. 1-3 Matri 24’ (S), Inglese 39’, 56’, 67’ (C) Torino-Pescara ............................... 5-3 Falque 2’ (T), Ajeti 9’ (T), Belotti 15’ (T), Ljajic 53’ (T), Belotti 61’ (T), Ajeti 73’ og (P), Benali 75’, 83’ (P) Sampdoria-Bologna ....................... 3-1 Dzemaili 18’ (B), Muriel 82’ pen (S), Schick 83’ (S), Mbaye 88’ og (S) Cagliari-Juventus ........................... 0-2 Higuain 37’, 47’ Juventus AS Roma Napoli Inter Atalanta Lazio AC Milan Fiorentina Torino Sampdoria Chievo Udinese Sassuolo Bologna Cagliari Genoa Empoli Palermo Crotone Pescara
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Yesterday Ternana-Perugia .............................. 0-1
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Standings
noon by seeing his penalty saved and concluded with his debut Serie A hat-trick. He got to the back stick and rose to steer in Birsa’s cross from the tightest of angles.
Antonino Ragusa nearly made it 3-2, his strong run down the left concluding with an angled drive off the base of the far upright. Stefano Sorrentino then performed a double desperate save on Ragusa and Pietro Iemmello.