Dusan Vlahovic scored twice as Juventus beat Lazio 3-1 at the Allianz Stadium and briefly climbed to the top of Serie A.
The Serbia striker and Federico Chiesa gave Juve a 2-0 lead and after Luis Alberto pulled a goal back for the visitors, Vlahovic struck again with another decisive strike.
Massimiliano Allegri’s side, without the suspended Paul Pogba following a recent positive doping test, have leapfrogged Inter and Milan into first place ahead of the derby at 5pm.
FT | | Saturday’s success is guaranteed #JuveLazio pic.twitter.com/lcrrJ9DERQ
— Juventus FC (@juventusfcen) September 16, 2023
Juve went on the attack and Filip Kostic’s corner kick was saved by Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel before Vlahovic headed Manuel Locatelli’s shot home at the near post in the 10th minute.
The goal was awarded after the VAR checked whether the ball had gone into touch during the build-up to the attack.
Kostic forced Provedel into another save and successive headers from Weston McKennie and Vlahovic narrowly missed the target as Juventus continued to threaten.
Daichi Kamada had Lazio’s first shot on target in the 25th minute, headed home by Wojciech Szczesny, and less than 60 seconds later the visitors trailed 2-0.
Adrien Rabiot tried to make room for a shot in the box and the ball found its way to Chiesa, who fired a decisive shot into the bottom corner.
Fabio Miretti came close to adding a third goal with a strike from outside the area before Lazio twice came close to reducing the deficit at the break.
Ciro Immobile’s header from Felipe Anderson’s cross and Mattia Zaccagna’s corner kick forced Szczesny to make a full save.
Provedel kept Juventus at bay early in the second period, parrying several headers from Rabiot, but Lazio began to threaten.
Super Dusan