Fabio Quagliarella’s brace earned Juventus a comfortable 2-0 win against Chievo in Serie A last night.
The margin of victory might have been much greater for the defending champions if not for the heroics of goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino.
Fresh from registering Juve’s vital equaliser at Chelsea in the Champions League, Quagliarella guaranteed Massimo Carrera’s Serie A sole leaders a fourth straight league victory with two classy goals, Chievo failing to create any clear-cut chances to hit back.
Juventus piled on the pressure from the outset, Quagliarella introducing himself to Sorrentino with two solid efforts inside the first 10 minutes.
Claudio Marchisio skilfully dummied the ball through Paul Pogba, the ex-Manchester United prodigy clipping in a wayward shot, before Quagliarella nicked in to test Sorrentino again.
Mirko Vucinic had the ball in the back of the net on 26 minutes following good work from Mauricio Isla but the Monte-negrin’s goal was rightfully ruled out for offside.
Unruffled, Juve continued to pour forward and Sorrentino had to be at his best again to repel Emmanuele Giaccherini’s low strike a few minutes later.
Former Udinese man Kwadwo Asamoah produced a wonderful dipping drive that Sorrentino pushed out, Marchisio soon letting rip from the edge of the box but missing the target.
Finally Chievo came alive and Perparim Hetemaj was unlucky not to rifle the ball home after Juve defender Lucio had lost control of the ball in a dangerous area.
But it was business as usual for the under-siege Sorrentino after the brief respite of half-time, the veteran keeper desperately repelling a deflected effort from Quagliarella.
The visitors had Bostjan Cesar to thank in the 54th minute as he snatched the ball off Quagliarella’s boot after a fine pull-back from Giaccherini.
Sorrentino denied Giorgio Chiellini from point-blank range before he finally allowed a Juve effort to beat him in the 63rd minute.
Quagliarella arrived from deep to pull off a trademark swivelling volley and arrow the ball against Sorrentino’s glove but into the top corner.
And five minutes later Sorrentino would get his fingertips to another lost cause as Quagliarella doubled up thanks to Asamoah’s deft cut inside and accurate pass.
Juve were totally in control and, with 10 minutes remaining, it was time for on-loan Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner to make his debut from the bench.
In another match, Parma overcame a late sending-off to grab an injury-time equaliser from the penalty spot at home to Fiorentina.
Parma looked to be heading for their third defeat in four games after Argentinian Facundo Roncaglia had grabbed his first goal for La Viola in the 20th minute.
But despite seeing defender Aleandro Rosi sent off late in the second half, a determined Parma side were handed a lifeline when former Italy striker Luca Toni, a second half substitute, handled in the box.
Chilean midfielder Jaime Valdes stepped up and beat keeper Emiliano Viviano from the spot to grab a share of the points.
Serie A
Juventus 2
Quagliarella 63, 68;
Chievo 0
HT: 0-0. Att: 37,000.
Parma 1
Valdes 90 pen;
Fiorentina 1
Roncaglia 20;
HT: 0-1. Att: 15,000.
Missed penalty: Valdes (P) 56.
Missed penalty: Jovetic (F) 88.
Red card: Rosi (P) 87.
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Juventus | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 12 |
| Napoli | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 9 |
| Lazio | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 9 |
| Sampdoria (-1) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 8 |
| Fiorentina | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 7 |
| Inter | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 6 |
| Roma | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 4 |
| Catania | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Parma | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 |
| Torino (-1) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Milan | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Genoa | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 3 |
| Bologna | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 3 |
| Chievo | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 3 |
| Atalanta (-2) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Cagliari | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| Udinese | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 1 |
| Palermo | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 |
| Pescara | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 0 |
| Siena (-6) | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -4 |
Playing today – 15.00
Atalanta vs Palermo
Bologna vs Pescara
Cagliari vs Roma
Catania vs Napoli
Inter vs Siena
Lazio vs Genoa - 20.45
Sampdoria vs Torino - 12.30
Udinese vs Milan
Top scorers
4 goals: Jovetic (Fiorentina).
3 goals: Hernanes (Lazio), Klose (Lazio), Pazzini (Milan), Lopez (Sampdoria).
Next fixtures
Tuesday: 20.45 Fiorentina vs Juve.
Wednesday: 18.30 Pescara vs Palermo. 20.45 Catania vs Atalanta; Chievo vs Inter; Genoa vs Parma; Milan vs Cagliari; Napoli vs Lazio; Roma vs Sampdoria; Torino vs Udinese.
Thursday: 20.45 Siena vs Bologna.
Serie B
Cesena 1 - Cittadella 0
Crotone 0 - Bari 0
Juve Stabia 1 - Varese 2
Lanciano 1 - Grosseto 1
Modena 1 - Livorno 0
Padova 3 - Reggina 2
Pro Vercelli 3 - Ascoli 1
Spezia 0 - Sassuolo 2
Vicenza 2 - Brescia 2
Standings: Sassuolo 15; Livorno, Varese (-1) 12; Verona 9; Spezia 7; Cittadella, Modena (-2), Pro Vercelli 6; Brescia, Crotone (-2), Vicenza 5; Bari (-7), Ternana, Padova (-2), Cesena 4; Ascoli (-1), Novara (-4), Lanciano 3; Reggina (-3), Juve Stabia 2; Empoli (-1) 1; Grosseto (-6) 0.