Juventus back to winning ways

Paul Pogba brace steers the Italian leaders back into form with 4-0 win over Udinese as Lazio are held at Palermo.

Paul Pogba
Juventus have struggled since the new year with defeat to Sampdoria and a draw at Parma - the victory in Milan is a timely boost for the leaders [Reuters]

Juventus got back to winning ways with a 4-0 win over Udinese in the Serie A on Saturday, with two stunning goals from Paul Pogba.

Pogba lashed a 30-metre strike into the top left corner to give Juventus the lead four minutes from halftime.

The 19-year-old, who was signed on a free transfer from Manchester United, scored another brilliant, long-range goal midway through the second half.

Mirko Vucinic sealed the match when he fired in from close range before Alessandro Matri beat the offside trap to score Juve’s fourth, 10 minutes from time.

Dominant performance

Results & fixtures

Saturday 19 January

Palermo 2-2 Lazio
Juventus 4-0 Udinese

Sunday 20 January

Fiorentina v Napoli
AC Milan v Bologna
Atalanta v Cagliari
Chievo v Parma
Genoa v Catania
Pescara v Torino
Siena v Sampdoria
Roma v Inter Milan

Juventus dominated despite being without key playmaker Andrea Pirlo as well as Claudio Marchisio, Simone Pepe, Kwadwo Asamoah, Giorgio Chiellini and Nicklas Bendtner.

Udinese’s second-choice goalkeeper Daniele Padelli, between the posts in place of the injured Zeljko Brkic, kept his side in the game, pulling off good saves to deny Arturo Vidal and Emanuele Giaccherini, although he was at fault for Juve’s third.

Juventus were five points ahead of second-placed Lazio, who were held to 2-2 at struggling Palermo.

Napoli, who play Fiorentina on Sunday, were a point further back.

It is a timely boost for Juventus which started the year with defeat to 10-man Sampdoria and a draw at Parma.

It is Udinese’s first defeat in seven games.

In Sicily, Sergio Floccari gave Lazio the lead in the 10th minute with a powerful looping header after a brilliant long ball from Cristian Ledesma.

Floccari had a second goal harshly ruled out for offside in the 64th.

The game turned on its head in the space of a minute in the second half as first Arevalo Rios evaded his marker to slot home Andrea Dossena’s cross at the far post.

Moments later Fabrizio Miccoli touched on Josip Ilicic’s cross for Paulo Dybala to slot home and put Palermo – who had started the day second from bottom – in front.

Lazio levelled from the spot after Ezequiel Munoz fouled Floccari. Hernanes fired into the bottom right corner, despite Palermo goalkeeper Samir Ujkani guessing the right way.

Source: AP