Juventus recorded a well-earned 2-0 victory over Salernitana on Tuesday night, a goal in each half from Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morata securing maximum points in Salerno.
Juventus asserted their authority on the game from the start, fashioning three decent chances in the opening ten minutes, a dangerous-looking Paulo Dybala forcing two saves from opposition goalkeeper Vid Belec while Dejan Kulusevski’s early strike flew just wide of the mark.
Salernitana found it difficult to keep hold of the ball, but did send out a warning signal as Simy Nkwankwo rose highest, but headed the ball wide a quarter of an hour in.
The Bianconeri attack, much-changed with Moise Kean leading the line with Federico Bernardeschi and Kulusevski in support, were fluid in their movements, pressing the opposition as they fought for each ball. Their early efforts paid dividends in the 21st minute: superb interplay among the Juve frontline saw Dybala play a neat one-two with Kulusevski before firing in a left-footed beauty to open the scoring, his fourth Serie A goal of the season giving the Bianconeri a deserved lead.
The visitors thought they had another just past the half-hour mark, Juan Cuadrado’s free-kick rattling the post with Giorgio Chiellini on hand to smash the loose ball home, yet VAR intervened, ruling out the goal for a Kean offside in the build-up.
The tempo of the game slowed down thereafter, the only other notable effort of the first half coming from Rodrigo Bentancur, the Uruguayan’s tenacity resulting in a strong forward run and a fierce strike on goal that blazed over the bar.
Long-range strikes from Dybala and Cuadrado would fail to trouble the Salernitana goalkeeper in the opening stages of the second stanza, but it was the hosts, determined to get themselves back in the game, who would come closest to finding the game’s next goal: after the Bianconeri backline failed to clear a hopeful ball into the box, an unmarked Luca Ranieri fired in an effort at the back post, with the woodwork coming to the rescue to deny the hosts a leveller.
Having come on as a substitute midway through the half, Alvaro Morata made an immediate impact just three minutes later, Bernardeschi playing in a low cross from the left with the Spaniard’s deft touch at the near post beating Belec to double the Bianconeri’s lead.
The final minutes would see Juventus create several opportunities, Dybala spurning a one-on-one chance, with Belec equal to the task, while Morata’s header wide and Dybala’s strike off-target giving clear indications of the visitor’s intent to increase their lead.
By the time Juventus won an injury-time penalty after a foul on Morata, the result had already been secured, Dybala unable to add the third as he slipped while taking the spot-kick, skying his effort over the bar.
Nonetheless, the well-earned three points were already in the bag, a much needed 2-0 victory giving the team a necessary boost ahead of December’s busy schedule.
SALERNITANA 0-2 JUVENTUS (HT: 0-1)
SCORER: Dybala 21’, Morata 70’
JUVENTUS
Line-up: Szczesny, Chiellini, de Ligt, Cuadrado, Pellegrini (Alex Sandro 67’), Bernardeschi (Rabiot 71’), Locatelli, Bentancur, Kulusevski, (Soule 90+4’), Dybala, Kean (Morata 67’)
Unused substitutes: Perin, Pinsoglio, Bonucci, Rugani, De Winter, Arthur, Kaio Jorge.
SALERNITANA
Line-up: Belec, Veseli, Gyomber, Gagliolo, Zortea, Coulibaly, Capezzi (Di Tacchio 50’), Kechrida (Schiavone 50’), Ranieri (Jaroszynski 82’), Bonazzoli (Vergani 82’), Simy (Djuric 64’)
Unused substitutes: Fiorillo, Guerrieri, Kastanos, Bogdan, Delli Carri.