Juventus returned to winning ways in Serie A in thumping fashion, strolling to an overwhelming 3-0 win at subdued Salernitana. Only days after overcoming Lazio in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, the record-time Italian champions secured another morale-boosting victory.
Following a dreadful run of three successive Serie A matches without winning (D1, L2), Juventus were desperate to get back on the rails. Massimiliano Allegri’s side acted on that from the get-go, mounting pressure on out-of-sorts Salernitana in pursuit of an early deadlock-breaker.
However, clear-cut chances were at a premium in the opening 20 minutes of play. Despite controlling the ball and the pace of the match, Juventus couldn’t find a way to unlock Salernitana’s stubborn defense. Luckily for the visitors, Hans Nicolussi offered them a helping hand in the 25th minute.
The 22-year-old midfielder made a reckless tackle inside his 18-yard box, with referee Antonio Rapuano immediately pointing to the spot. Standout striker Dusan Vlahovic took it upon himself to take the shot, slotting the ball past Guillermo Ochoa to put Juventus in front midway through the first half.
After recording his first goal in Serie A since mid-October, the Serbian forward turned from a goalscorer into a provider. His abysmal attempt to catch a half-volley with a weaker right foot took an awkward deflection, falling straight into the feet of his fellow compatriot Filip Kostic. The former Eintracht Frankfurt winger kept his cool to beat Ochoa from point-blank and give Juventus a comfortable 2-0 cushion at halftime.
While the result didn’t change between Kostic’s strike and the break, another game-defining moment took place down the final stretch of the first half. Fabio Miretti picked up a nasty-looking injury and had to be stretchered off the field in agony, with Nicolo Fagioli coming on to replace him.
Only two minutes into the second half, the 21-year-old midfielder stepped up to the plate to decide the match with a brilliant move. Fagioli first intercepted a loose pass from Domagoj Bradaric before delivering a pinpoint assist to Vlahovic, who doubled his tally with a lethal finish to kill the game off immediately after the break.
There was never a way back into this fixture for Salernitana from that moment on, yet they were at least able to avoid further humiliation. That’s mainly thanks to the visitors’ decision to pull the plug on their attacking ventures. As ever, Juventus were happy to see out the match, barely threatening Ochoa’s goal for the remainder of the game.
But to their credit, Allegri’s men prevented Salernitana from unleashing a single shot on target in the second half. Davide Nicola’s side had some sporadic attempts to score a consolation goal, yet the visiting defense stood firm. Instead of scoring, the hosts almost conceded again in the dying moments as second-half substitute Moise Kean struck the right post after receiving an inviting ball inside the box.
Juventus’ first league win since January 7 moved them within 12 points of sixth-placed Milan. On the other hand, Salernitana remain only seven points clear of the relegation zone after failing to build on a 2-1 victory at Lecce last time out.
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