Juventus ease past Lazio with help of classy Paulo Dybala volley

Paulo Dybala was the difference as Juventus extended their winning streak to five Serie A games with a 2-0 triumph at Lazio on Friday night.

Dybala's fierce cross forced the opening goal, with Santiago Gentiletti putting it into his own net after seven minutes, and then he struck a spectacular volley from distance to complete the scoring before the interval.

The win moves Massimiliano Allegri's side level on points with fourth-placed Roma and leaves them just four points off leaders Napoli, who play on Sunday.

Juventus, who are aiming to win a record-equalling fifth successive scudetto, arrived at the Stadio Olimpico riding a resurgent wave after a slow start to the 2015-16 campaign.

Despite missing the considerable talents of Paul Pogba, who was suspended, they made a confident start and took the lead after just seven minutes.

It was more about good luck than anything else though, with Gentiletti unwittingly putting the ball into his own net after Dybala's fizzed low cross hit his trailing leg and wrong-footed Lazio goalkeeper Federico Marchetti.

Alex Sandro was a constant threat down the left for Juve and he almost compounded Lazio's woes by setting up a second after 20 minutes.

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His delayed ball into the box unleashed Kwadwo Asamoah into space, but as the Ghanaian pulled the trigger Lazio centre back Mauricio threw himself in the way to give the hosts a reprieve - for 12 minutes at least.

Dybala's class was only matched by Lazio's lacklustre defending as he got Juventus' second goal after 32 minutes. The Argentinian was given enough space to flick it up off the ground, bounce it off his knee and fire an inch-perfect volley past a despairing Marchetti from 25 yards.

Lazio, who lost midfielder Senad Lulic to an accident that left him needing hand surgery this week, continued to toil after the break and always looked like slipping to a fifth defeat in six games.

Chances proved elusive, despite having plenty of possession, and they only started asking questions around the hour mark.

Marco Parolo came closest, trying to catch out Gianluigi Buffon at his near post from a free-kick on the edge of the area in the 69th minute.

With the ball skidding off the greasy surface for a moment it looked like causing a problem, but Buffon adjusted well to gather cleanly.

Miroslav Klose was left feeding off scraps late on as Lazio scrambled for a way back into it, but it was not to be and they remain 10th in the table, although they are unlikely to finish the weekend there.