MX23RW : Saturday, June 5 21:06:21| >> :120:16754:16754:
Dec 30, 2017 at 7.45pm UK at Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi, Verona
Hellas VeronaHellas Verona
1-3
Juventus
Caceres (59')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Matuidi (6'), Dybala (72', 78')

Result: Juventus keep pressure on Napoli with win over Hellas Verona

Result: Juventus keep pressure on Napoli
© Offside
Juventus close the gap at the top of the Serie A table to one point courtesy of a 3-1 victory over Hellas Verona.

Juventus have closed the gap at the top of the Serie A table back to just one point courtesy of a 3-1 victory over Hellas Verona at the Stadio Marc Antonio Bentegodi this evening.

Juve had slipped further behind Napoli courtesy of the leaders' 1-0 win over Crotone on Friday night, but they responded in kind as a brace from Paulo Dybala handed them all three points after Martin Caceres had earlier cancelled out Blaise Matuidi's opener against his former club.

The victory takes the champions six points clear of third-placed Inter Milan too following their draw with Lazio earlier in the day, whereas Verona remain 19th and are two points from safety.

It took the visitors only six minutes to break the deadlock when Gonzalo Higuain's strike hit the post and rebounded to Matuidi, who fired home the rebound to give Juventus a perfect start to the match.

Higuain came close again a little over 10 minutes later when he tried his luck with a free kick, but this time his effort flew narrowly past the upright.

It was the Argentine who continued to look the most likely to add to the scoring, though, and he squandered another chance to double his side's advantage with five minutes remaining of the first half when his header was kept out by Andrade Nicolas.

Juventus and Higuain looked as though they might live to rue those missed chances when Verona levelled things up shortly before the hour mark, with Caceres blasting a stunning strike past Wojciech Szczesny from range to end Juve's eight-match run of clean sheets.

It was the first goal Juventus had conceded in almost 800 minutes of action, but they were soon back on the front foot and regained their lead just 13 minutes later when Dybala swept his finish past the keeper after meeting a low cross inside the box.

It was Dybala's first Serie A goal in more than a month, but a second came just six minutes later when he squeezed another low finish into the corner after working space to shoot from inside the area.

The Argentine almost had a nine-minute hat-trick shortly afterwards when he sent a free kick towards the top corner, but Nicolas was equal to it.

Higuain did have the ball in the back of the net with only three minutes of normal time remaining, but his celebrations were cut short by the offside flag as Juventus were forced to settle for only a two-goal victory.

Verona (4-4-1-1): Andrade; Ferrari, Heurtaux, Caracciolo, Caceres (Pazzini, 78'); Romulo, Zuculini, Buchel, Verde; Bessa (Calvano, 88'); Keane (Zuculini, 82')

Juventus (4-3-3): Szczesny; Lichtsteiner (Barzagli, 74'), Benatia, Chiellini, Sandro; Khedira, Bentancur (Bernardeschi, 46'), Matuidi; Dybala, Higuain, Mandzukic (Marchisio, 81')

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A general shot of a Premier League football ahead of the Premier League clash between Everton and West Ham United at Goodison Park on October 30, 2016
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Todays Game Header Right
Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CInter Milan38287389355491
2AC Milan38247774413379
3Atalanta BCAtalanta38239690474378
4Juventus38239677383978
5Napoli38245986414577
6Lazio38215126155668
7Roma381881268581062
8SassuoloSassuolo381711106456862
9Sampdoria38157165254-252
10Hellas VeronaHellas Verona381112154648-245
11Genoa381012164758-1142
12Bologna381011175165-1441
13Fiorentina38913164759-1240
14Udinese381010184258-1640
15SpeziaSpezia38912175272-2039
16CagliariCagliari38910194359-1637
17Torino38716155069-1937
RBeneventoBenevento38712194075-3533
RCrotone3865274592-4723
RParma38311243983-4420

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