24 September 2014
Arturo Vidal marked his return to the Bianconeri starting line-up by downing Cesena with a double in this evening’s 3-0 triumph at Juventus Stadium.
The midfielder, featuring from the start for the first time since August’s opening day win over Chievo, put the hosts on course for their fourth victory of the season when he converted from the spot on 18 minutes.
And after seeing a Juventus onslaught consistently foiled by Nicola Leali, Vidal picked out the bottom corner from outside the area just after the hour-mark to all but safeguard a 100 per cent start to the campaign.
Any lingering doubts were put to rest five minutes from time by Stephan Lichtsteiner, who burst down the right-hand side and dinked a delicate shot over the onrushing goalkeeper for his first goal of the season.
Four changes were made from Saturday’s triumph in Milan by Massimiliano Allegri, who brought Angelo Ogbonna, Arturo Vidal, Patrice Evra and Sebastian Giovinco into the fold at the expense of Martin Caceres, Paul Pogba, Kwadwo Asamoah and Carlos Tevez.
Giovinco, making his first start of the term, looked lively from the very off, linking up well with Fernando Llorente and providing the earliest Bianconeri goal threat through a dipping volley that Leali, on loan from Juventus, did well to turn over the bar.
It was another returning face, though, who gave the hosts the lead after Emmanuel Cascione was adjudged to have blocked Roberto Pereyra’s goalbound shot with his hand, with Vidal slamming home a penalty on 18 minutes that proved just too hot to handle for Leali.
Aside from a speculative Guido Marilungo effort from all of 35 yards, comfortably pushed away by Gigi Buffon, it remained all Juventus as they attempted to break down enemy lines with plenty of probing in the final third.
Giovinco found himself at the thick of the action as the first half drew to a close, first curling a fine right-footed effort inches beyond Leali’s near post before seeing a similar attempt, this time with the other foot, yield a similar outcome.
This personal duel was to once again manifest itself in the opening stages of the second half when the striker’s effort from an acute angle was pushed clear only as far as Vidal, who sliced his follow-up over the top.
There was to be no letting up by Giovinco as he strived to open his account for the season, but Leali again passed the test when tasked with clawing a dangerous free-kick away from the angle of post and bar on the hour-mark.
Just when it seemed there was to be no further way past the young shotstopper, Vidal arrowed a perfectly placed strike into the bottom corner four minutes later to double both his and Juventus’ tally for the evening.
The icing was put on the cake in the final five minutes by Lichtsteiner, who coupled a typical lung-busting dash into the box with a neat finish to wrap up a good night at the office all round.
The win equals Torino’s all-time record of 21 consecutive top flight home successes and the Bianconeri will be hoping to celebrate another feat in style when they host Roma at Juventus Stadium in little over ten days’ time.
For now, though, attentions will turn to Saturday evening’s trip to Bergamo, where Atalanta await.
