A solid, convincing performance with goals by Federico Chiesa and Aaron Ramsey was enough for Juve to overcome Sampdoria. Wojciech Szczesny was rarely threatened and the Bianconeri manoeuvred the ball with finesse – an excellent sign, besides the all-important three points.
CHIESA BREAKS THE DEADLOCK
The Bianconeri's high pressing and rapid ball circulation had the home side pegged back in their own half and while Samp tried to keep things tight and tidy Juve's precision passing was clearly going to cause them problems. So it proved with 20 minutes on the clock when Cristiano Ronaldo spread play out wide for Alvaro Morata, whose low delivery found Chiesa in space at the back stick: 1-0 to Juve.
QUALITY AND CHARACTER
The Bianconeri had quality in abundance and plenty of character too. As the minutes passed they increasingly seized control of the game, stifling anything Samp could muster and carving out a string of chances. Ronaldo fizzed an effort over from the edge of the box, fired wide after going past Emil Audero, then saw Maya Yoshida steal the ball off him just as he was about to pull the trigger in the area.
JUVE IN CONTROL
The incessant, driving rain hardly facilitated flowing football yet Juve appeared unaffected by it as they zipped the ball around with ease after the restart. It wasn't easy to create openings for the shot, though, with Samp defending well. Two rare forays forward for the hosts saw Fabio Quagliarella denied first by Giorgio Chiellini and then by Szczesny. However, even as the tempo began to drop, the Bianconeri always remained in complete control.
RAMSEY WRAPS IT UP
Andrea Pirlo brought on Adrien Rabiot and Federico Bernardeschi for Rodrigo Bentancur and Morata in the final 15 minutes, followed by Alex Sandro and Ramsey for Chiesa and Arthur shortly afterwards. In the meantime Samp had sparked into life as they sought a late equaliser but were unable to trouble Szczesny and inevitably left themselves open at the back. Juventus punished them for it in added time as Ronaldo hit a long ball up for Juan Cuadrado and the Colombian set up Ramsey for the simplest of finishes, wrapping up three thoroughly deserved points.
SAMPDORIA 0-2 JUVENTUS (HT 0-1)
SCORERS: Chiesa 20, Ramsey 90+1
SAMPDORIA
Audero; Bereszynski, Yoshida, Colley, Augello; Candreva (Jankto 81), Silva (Damsgaard 63), Ekdal, Thorsby; Keita (Torregrossa 68), Quagliarella (Ramirez 68).
Subs not used: Letica, Tonelli, Regini, Ferrari, Leris, Jankto, Askildsen, Verre, La Gumina.
Coach: Ranieri.
JUVENTUS
Szczesny; Cuadrado, Bonucci, Chiellini, Danilo; Chiesa (Alex Sandro 84), Arthur (Ramsey 84), Bentancur (Rabiot 75), McKennie; Morata (Bernardeschi 78), Ronaldo.
Subs not used: Buffon, Pinsoglio, de Ligt, Demiral, Dragusin, Frabotta, Fagioli.
Coach: Pirlo.
REFEREE: Fabbri.
ASSISTANTS: Alassio, Tolfo.
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Maresca.
VAR: Valeri, Tegoni.
BOOKED: Thorsby 24, Ekdal 30, Bentancur 37, Damsgaard 87, Bernardeschi 89.