Juventus on Tuesday maintained their four-point lead at the top of Serie A after strolling to a 3-1 win at Genoa, which keeps chasers SS Lazio at bay despite their comeback triumph at Torino.
Three stunning individual goals from Paulo Dybala, Cristiano Ronaldo and Douglas Costa downed relegation-threatened Genoa and kept Maurizio Sarri on course to deliver Juventus’ ninth straight league title in his first season as coach.
Andrea Pinamonti pulled one back with 14 minutes left for the struggling hosts, who stay just one point above the drop zone and third-from-bottom US Lecce, who were to host Genoa’s local rivals, UC Sampdoria, yesterday.
Photo: AFP
Pinamonti’s strike was the first goal conceded by Juventus since losing to hosts Olympique Lyonnais in late February, but it was not enough to stop the champions from cruising to their sixth straight league win.
“It was a good team effort and we scored three brilliant goals,” Sarri said. “The team have recovered well after the disappointment of losing the Coppa Italia final — it was only a matter of time.”
The victory at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris showcased the firepower that Sarri has at his disposal, with Genoa goalkeeper Mattia Perin making five saves in the goalless first half as Juventus pushed early to win the match.
Dybala put his side in the lead in the 50th minute with a beautiful finish following a snaking dribble, a strike that set the tone for the rest of the match.
Ronaldo, who had looked off the pace following the league’s restart from the COVID-19 shutdown, showed that he was back to his best seven minutes later when he charged toward the goal before letting off a rocket of a shot that Perin could only grasp at as it fired into the net.
That settled the result, but substitute Costa then made his own case for Goal of the Match when he collected the ball toward the right side of the penalty area and unleashed a curling, dipping shot that again left Perin bewildered.
“They [Dybala and Ronaldo] have learned to look for each other more often,” Sarri said of a blossoming partnership. “They have realized that by benefitting from each other, both reap the rewards. It’s something I have noticed in training, too.”
Lazio earlier on Tuesday had done their part when they came from behind again to win 2-1 against struggling Torino.
Italy forward Ciro Immobile’s 29th league goal and Marco Parolo’s deflected strike in the 73rd minute completed a deserved second-half comeback for Lazio, who just two days earlier had clawed their way to a 2-1 win over ACF Fiorentina in a similar fashion.
Andrea Belotti gave the hosts an early lead from the penalty spot after Immobile handled, but they spent the rest of the match on the back foot and are 14th on 31 points.
Torino have lost seven of their past nine league matches and although they are six points above the drop zone, they could find themselves dragged into a dogfight by the end of this round of fixtures.
Lazio are still in the hunt for their first league title in 20 years and are practically guaranteed a place in the UEFA Champions League next season for the first time since the 2007-2008 season, as they are 20 points ahead of fifth-placed local rivals AS Roma.
Immobile’s goal, a left-footed finish three minutes after the break, was another example of Luis Alberto’s importance to Lazio, as it was a league-leading 13th assist of the season for the former Liverpool player.
His strike also meant that the Italy forward equaled his own record for the highest number of goals scored by a Lazio player in a Serie A season.
However, Lazio must do without the 30-year-old against AC Milan on Saturday. He will be suspended after being booked for a handball.
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