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Andrea Pirlo and Alvaro Morata scored their first season goals in Juventus’ 2-0 defeat of promoted Empoli yesterday as the Serie A champions regained sole possession of first place. |
Juve have 25 points and are three ahead of Roma (22), who crashed 2-0 at Napoli.
Argentine Gonzalo Higuain volleyed an early opener and set up Jose Callejon to score five minutes from time to help Napoli climb into third on 18 points.
In Empoli, coach Massimiliano Allegri rested forwards Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente to field Sebastian Giovinco and Morata, who displayed more dynamics than his Spanish compatriot Llorente, finding the net after Pirlo opened the scoring with a 61st-minute free-kick.
The 22-year-old drilled home a left-footer that was slightly deflected and flew past goalkeeper Davide Bassi in the 71st.
Juve, however, did not convince in the first half, just as in a recent poor run of games that saw them crash 1-0 at Genoa Wednesday in their first league defeat.
The hosts saw Manuel Pucciarelli force a first difficult 65th-minute save from Gianluigi Buffon, who also stopped from substitute Fracesco Tavano in the dying seconds.
Empoli ran more risks after Tevez came on for Giovinco with 22 minutes left, and Lorenzo Tonelli was red-carded in injury time for a last-man-foul on the storming Argentine.
Parma and Inter Milan meet later Saturday with five games
set for Sunday and two more on Monday.
