Carlos Tevez double takes Juventus five points clear atop Serie A table

Updated: May 17, 2023, 06:23 am
A pair of Carlos Tevez goals fueled a dominant Juve victory over Hellas Verona.
AP Photo/Massimo Pinca

Carlos Tevez scored twice as Juventus moved five points clear at the top of Serie A with a 4-0 win over Hellas Verona.

Goals from Paul Pogba and Tevez inside the first 10 minutes put Juve in total control, though they had to wait until the second half for Roberto Pereyra to add the third before Tevez completed the job.

With second-placed Roma held by Palermo on Saturday, the result gave Massimiliano Allegri's side a comfortable advantage at the summit.

The opener came in only the third minute as Alvaro Morata laid the ball back and Pogba finished low from 25 yards, with the ball taking an awkward bounce in front of goalkeeper Rafael.

Pogba then dummied Morata's deflected cross for Tevez to calmly sweep in from 16 yards and give the Old Lady a 2-0 lead with only seven minutes on the clock.

Andrea Pirlo went close to a third when a languid free-kick was hurriedly tipped over by Rafael.

Luca Toni dragged a shot across the face of goal at the other end, with a sliding Ivan Martic just unable to keep the ball in play and the chance alive.

Rafael Marques did well to clear behind after Guillermo Rodriguez's error allowed Claudio Marchisio in along the byline. Patrice Evra headed Pirlo's corner over.

Martin Caceres dragged a shot wide on the turn after the wall blocked Pirlo's free-kick, and Pogba's curler was beaten away by Rafael as Juve somehow reached halftime without adding to their lead.

They remained on the front foot early in the second period but Pirlo and Morata were off target from range and Tevez headed wide when well-placed.

Lazaros Christodoulopoulos forced the first save from home keeper Gianluigi Buffon with a low right-footed drive but Juve soon had their third.

Defender Giorgio Chiellini was the unlikely provider with a perfectly weighted through-ball which Pereyra ran on to and stroked past Rafael.

Juve were not finished, and eight minutes later, Marchisio slid a neat pass into Tevez who turned, set himself and side-footed through the legs of Rafael at the near post.

Substitutes Sebastian Giovinco and Simone Pepe were both denied and Chiellini shot wide, while Emil Hallfredsson fired over as Verona remained scoreless.