11 June 2017
Three goals in the space of five second-half minutes at the Stadio Carlo Castellani handed Juventus a fourth consecutive victory in all competitions, the champions running out comfortable 3-0 winners away to Empoli.
Both scorers just a few days earlier against Dinamo Zagreb, strike partners Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala would repeat the trick in Tuscany, the former netting his second and third goals of the week, the latter his first of the Serie A season.
Juventus began with intent and could and perhaps should have taken the lead much earlier than they eventually did inside 10 minutes, Sami Khedira volleying Miralem Pjanic’s superb lofted through pass onto the crossbar with the Empoli defence looking eagerly for an offside flag.
For all of the away side’s dominance however, other clear-cut scoring opportunities remained at a premium until ten minutes before half-time. Pjanic, impressive throughout the first period, split the home ranks in two again to release Juan Cuadrado down the right who could only shoot at Skorupski with the goal gaping.
With the interval beckoning, Cuadrado would go close once more lashing a volley over the crossbar from the corner of the six-yard box after Higuain’s delicate chip had been headed off the line.
The second half began much in the same vein with Massimiliano Allegri’s men continuing to control proceedings and exert greater pressure on the Azzurri backline. This time however, Juve made their dominance count, Dybala firing past Skorupski on 65 minutes with a rasping drive into the roof of the net.
Dybala’s compatriot and strike partner was on the scoresheet himself two minutes later, powering into the bottom corner with his left foot when left unchallenged 20 yards from goal for his sixth strike of the campaign.
In the blink of an eye the contest was then closed down for good, Higuain capitalising on a defensive error to dance around Skorupski and poke into an empty net, rounding off a thrilling five-minute, three-goal spell for the Bianconeri.
Allegri’s charges might have even added a fourth late on were it not for the last of a string of fine stops from the home goalkeeper, whose flying save denied Marko Pjaca a first Juventus goal to go with another eye-catching cameo from the substitutes’ bench moments from the full-time whistle.
The result left the Old Lady sitting pretty and four points clear of second-placed Napoli going into October’s international break.
You can read Juventus.com's five-point analysis of the victory by clicking here.
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