Dybala, Higuain help Juve cement lead at top

Massimiliano Allegri's men defeated Lazio 2-0 on Sunday in Turin

MILAN: Striker Paulo Dybala hit a fifth-minute opener and Gonzalo Higuain added a quick second as Juventus humbled Lazio 2-0 on Sunday.

Despite a poor record against the Turin giants in recent years, Lazio travelled to Turin looking to end the Serie A champions' 26-match unbeaten league run at home.

However, coach Massimiliano Allegri overcame a number of enforced absences to send out a reshuffled side that should have finished with a far more generous tally.

Juve's 16th win of the campaign leaves Allegri's men four points ahead of Roma, who can reduce the gap to a point with a win over Cagliari in Sunday's late game.

Napoli sit third, also at four points off the pace, following a 2-1 win at AC Milan on Saturday that left the Rossoneri fifth, 11 points behind Juventus.

Back in Champions League action at Porto next month, Allegri said: "I asked the lads for a big team performance because that's what we need in Europe, and they pulled through.

"We made a few little mistakes but defensively they did really well. I realised in midweek we had to change a few things."

On the other hand, Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi later slammed his players' slow start, telling Sky Sport: "We gifted them the first 15 minutes of the game, then we finally got our house in order, but by then it was too late. We showed them far too much respect, especially in defence."