Juventus moved provisionally four points clear atop Serie A with a 3-1 victory at Cagliari on Thursday.

Carlos Tevez fired the visitors ahead in just the third minute, Arturo Vidal doubling the lead 12 minutes later with a fine curling strike. Fernando Llorente netted Juve’s third in the 50th minute before Luca Rossettini pulled a goal back for Cagliari 15 minutes later.

The result took Juventus on to 39 points from 16 matches, extending the Bianconeri’s lead atop the Serie A table to four points over AS Roma. That four-point advantage will hold until at least Saturday, when Roma host AC Milan.

Regardless of the outcome of the Roma-Milan match, Juventus will head into the winter break in first place.

The Bianconeri’s next league match is set for Jan. 6, at home to Inter Milan. Nearing the halfway point of the season with just one loss, Massimiliano Allegri’s men are in a good position to claim a fourth consecutive Serie A title.

The home supporters at the Stadio Sant’Elia were in fine voice at kick-off, creating a noisy atmosphere for their illustrious opponents. Juventus silenced them quickly with a fast start and an early goal. 

The Bianconeri’s first chance came in the third minute as Llorente placed a low header on target from a Claudio Marchisio cross. Cagliari goalkeeper Alessio Cragno saved, pushing the ball around the post for a corner.

Juventus took the lead from the ensuing set piece. Andrea Pirlo took the corner short, trading passes with Arturo Vidal. The latter then played the ball into the box, where Angelo Ogbonna backheeled deftly into the goalmouth. Giorgio Chiellini was unable to turn the ball in at close range, but a mis-touch by Cragno sent the ball to Tevez, who swept in at the back post.

Gianluigi Buffon preserved Juve’s lead with a good save in the ninth minute, diving to his left to keep out an Albin Ekdal header after Victor Ibarbo crossed from deep on the left.

Six minutes later, it was 2-0. Juventus moved forward at pace, attacking down the left through Patrice Evra. The French full-back crossed into the middle, but the danger seemed to pass as Cagliari cleared. The ball rolled directly to Vidal, who curled his first-time shot around Cragno and into the net at the far post.

Leading comfortably by two goals, Juve cruised through the rest of the first half. Shortly after the restart, Ekdal had a curled shot deflected just wide of the bottom corner as Cagliari searched for a way back into the match.

Instead, Juventus netted for the third time in the 50th minute, taking advantage of another Cragno miscue. 

Pirlo played a pass over the top for Llorente, who held off his marker in the box, turned and shot low at Cragno. The Cagliari goalkeeper should have saved, but the ball trickled underneath him and crept into the net for a 3-0 Juve lead.

The visitors were in full control, but Cagliari pulled a goal back in the 65th minute. Andrea Cossu curled in a free-kick from the right, and Rossettini nodded in at the back post to give the hosts hope at 3-1.

At the other end, Cagliari’s Godfred Donsah made a timely interception in front of goal to cut out a dangerous Roberto Pereyra pass intended for Marchisio at the back post. In the 77th minute, Cragno saved at his near post to keep out Pereyra’s low drive.

Juve continued to attack as full-time approached, but with the result secure, the visitors were able to see out the final 10 minutes in relative comfort.

 

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