Lovely play by Juventus! The home side move the ball around beautifully as they push forward on one last attack. Sandro skips into the box and picks out Higuain, who then tees up Khedira with a wonderful flick, but the German is unable to wrap up the move with a goal as his shot is well saved by Seculin.
90' +2
Sandro is out-muscled by Inglese midway down the right wing and loses out to the substitute. The Chievo man breaks forward quickly before lifting a cross over to Pellissier, but the striker is unable to reach the ball with his head and loses out to Bonucci.
90'
The fourth official has indicated that there will be three minutes of added time.
88'
No, they can't. Birsa steps up and unleashes a curling shot from the set-piece but it's slightly too powerful and fails to hit the target.
87'
Pellissier, who has seen little of the ball since the start of the second half, picks up possession just outside of the penalty area before being fouled from behind by Barzagli, resulting in a free-kick for Chievo just a couple of yards outside of the box. Can they make it count with a late goal?
85'
Dani Alves enters the game and replaces S. Lichtsteiner.
Juventus have made their final change, with Lichtsteiner making way for Dani Alves.
84'
G. Higuaín has scored a goal for Juventus! Assist by S. Lichtsteiner.
Lichtsteiner picked out Higuain with a nice pass across the face of goal, but that goal was all about Dybala, who comfortably skipped past several players on his way towards goal.
GOAL! Higuain makes it 2-0! Higuain showcases great skill in the middle of the Chievo box as he weaves his way through a sea of dark blue shirts. He then pokes the ball out to Lichtsteiner, who quickly pokes it over to Higuain, and the Argentine is easily able to rifle a shot into the back of the net to wrap up the win for Juventus.
83'
Chievo are doing well to put Juventus under pressure as they try to find a late equaliser, but they're leaving space available behind whenever they push forward. Juventus are clearly looking to hit them on the break, and that could end up hurting the visitors if they're not too careful.
81'
Chance for Birsa! The Juventus defence seems to have fallen asleep slightly, allowing Chievo to push plenty of bodies forward. They do so really well before Birsa unleashes a thumping half-volley from the edge of the box, but it's well saved by Buffon in the middle of the goal.
79'
L. Bonucci gets yellow.
Bonucci isn't at all happy with the referee about one of his decisions, and he receives a yellow card for dissent that will keep him out of his side's next game.
Minute
Description
78'
Sandro links up well with Dybala over on the left wing before cutting into the penalty area. He skips past one player before taking on Cesar, but he's unable to find a way past the centre-back and it out-muscled on the byline.
76'
What a miss by Higuain! Dybala cuts inside from the right wing and fires a beautiful pass straight into the feet of Higuain. The striker's first touch is beautiful and sets him up perfectly to make it 2-0, but he fires his effort just wide of the near post. He really should have buried that!
75'
J. de Guzmán enters the game and replaces P. Hetemaj.
Chievo have made their third and final alteration, with Jonathan de Guzman coming on to replace Hetemaj, who seems to have picked up a slight injury.
74'
What a chance for Dybala! Juventus move the ball around beautifully before Dybala unleashes a low strike from the edge of the box, but his effort rolls just past the far post after leaving Seculin rooted to the spot in the middle of the goal.
73'
Inglese goes close! The substitute is presented with one of Chievo's best chances of the game to fire in an equaliser, but his header from eight yards out bounces agonisingly wide of the post.
72'
L. Bonucci enters the game and replaces S. Sturaro.
Juventus have made a defensive substitution, with Sturaro making way for Leonardo Bonucci. It looks as if the home side are going to switch to playing with three at the back.
71'
Lemina bursts down the right wing on an excellent run as he easily skips past Cacciatore. He then sprints towards the edge of the penalty area before trying to tee up Lichtsteiner with a deft flick, but the Swiss defender misreads the attempted move and lets it roll right past him.
70'
Higuain bursts into the left-hand side of the Chievo penalty area and does well to knock the ball back to Sturaro. The midfielder is in a good position and quickly shoots, but it's closed down and fails to trouble Seculin.
68'
A nice exchange of passes from Chievo deep inside the Juventus half of the pitch ends with Izco 30 yards away from goal. He takes a quick touch and then unleashes a rocket of a shot, but Sturaro is there to throw his body in the way of the effort.
67'
R. Inglese enters the game and replaces R. Meggiorini.
Meanwhile, Chievo have replaced Meggiorini with Roberto Inglese.
66'
M. Lemina enters the game and replaces J. Cuadrado.
Juventus have made their first change of the night, with Mario Lemina coming on to replace Cuadrado.
64'
A completely mishit pass from Sandro can only find Pellissier, who quickly kick-starts a counter-attack. The striker flies through the middle of the pitch before working the ball over to Castro, who curls in a great cross from the right flank that Cuadrado is just about able to head away from the Chievo captain.
62'
Juventus keep pushing forward as they desperately try to double their head. Once again, Higuain picks up the ball in a promising position before chipping a cross towards Sturaro, but Chievo are just about to deal with the danger before the midfielder can send a header towards goal.
61'
Thumping strike by Higuain! A lofted pass forward should be comfortably dealt with by Spolli, but the defender's attempted headed clearance spins up in the air and down to Higuain. The striker controls it well before spinning and shooting, and his rocket of a strike flies just past the far post after leaving Seculin rooted to the spot.
59'
Sandro does well to skip into the left-hand side of the Chievo penalty area before trying to cut a pass back to Higuain, but he's unable to make decent contact with the ball and loses out to Spolli.
57'
Cuadrado plays the corner short and over to Dybala, who fires a deflected cross out for yet another corner. This time it's Dybala who takes it, and the ball ends up missing the head of Sturaro by the narrowest of margins in front of goal.
56'
Dybala steps up and shoots from the set-piece, but he's unable to beat the wall of dark blue shirts camped in front of him and has to settle for a corner over on the left wing.
55'
N. Spolli gets yellow.
Dybala links up well with Khedira just outside of the Chievo box before being clattered into by Spolli, who gives away a free-kick in a very dangerous position before earning himself a yellow card.
54'
Dybala is presented with another chance to score, but this time his half-volley from the edge of the penalty area is deflected out for a corner. It's sent short and worked over to Sandro, whose chipped pass into the box is poor and sails straight into the hands of Seculin.
52'
Chance for Meggiorini! Izco gets himself into a pocket of space midway inside the Juventus half of the pitch over on the right wing and quickly curls a dangerous cross into the box, where it finds Meggiorini. The striker rises high and meets the ball well but can't test Buffon, who easily deals with the downward header.
50'
Good defending by Izco! Dybala latches on to a loose ball just outside of the Chievo penalty area and quickly darts towards the byline, but he's out-muscled well by Izco and can't get the better of the defender.
48'
First shot on target for Chievo! The Juventus defenders fall asleep momentarily and allow Pellissier to get away a thumping strike from the left-hand side of the penalty area, but it's well saved by Buffon before it can find the back of the net.
46'
M. Izco enters the game and replaces M. Gobbi.
Chievo have made one substitution during the half-time break, with Gobbi making way for Mariano Izco.
We're underway once again!
45' +1
Chievo work the ball around patiently midway inside the Juventus half of the pitch before Cacciatore swings in a cross from the right wing. It's underhit, however, and fails to find a team-mate before being cut out by Marchisio.
45'
The fourth official has indicated that there will be just one minute of added time.
44'
Juventus push forward once again as they try to carve out a final chance on goal before the half-time break, but Radovanovic pulls off another important block to deny Marchisio from 25 yards out.
43'
And now Cuadrado goes close! Lichtsteiner cuts inside from the right wing and finds Dybala, who then pokes a lovely pass up to Cuadrado. He's in a promising position and quickly shoots, but Radovanovic is there to block the effort.
41'
Chance for Khedira! Space opens up for Cuadrado deep down the right wing and the Colombian is able to curl a cross right on to the head of the German. He's unable to make the chance count though, as his glancing header bounces well wide of the far post.
40'
A swinging cross from the right wing causes a few scares for the Juventus back line, who are just about able to clear the ball for a corner. The set-piece is curled back into the box and towards the near post, but Marchisio is there to thump the ball away from danger.
38'
Valter Birsa, who has seen little of the ball so far, receives possession in a pocket of space not far outside of the Juventus box. He spins quickly and shoots, but his long-range strike is well blocked on the edge of the penalty area.
36'
Dybala receives the ball from Lichtsteiner over on the right wing and immediately fires a lovely lofted pass over to the left flank, where Higuain quickly wins Juventus a corner. It's taken by Dybala but fails to find a team-mate due to the Argentine slipping as he makes contact with the ball.
34'
Juventus seem content to allow Chievo plenty of time on the ball, as they have no problem sitting deep and soaking up the pressure. So far, the visitors have struggled to cause too many issues for the home side, leaving Buffon largely a spectator in the middle of the goal.
32'
Lichtsteiner and Cuadrado link up well deep down the right flank before the latter tries to weave his way into the box, but Hetemaj is there to out-muscle the Colombian with a hefty tackle from behind.
30'
A poor touch from Cuadrado gives away possession to Chievo over on the right wing, allowing the visitors to counter quickly. They're unable to carve out a chance on goal though, as Lichtsteiner is there in the heart of the penalty area to head the ball away from danger.
28'
Claudio Marchisio is left in a pocket of space 25 yards away from the Chievo goal and quickly chips a pass into the penalty area and towards Higuain, who sticks out a foot but can't quite make contact with the ball, despite his best efforts.
26'
Almost an opportunity for Barzagli! Juventus quickly win the ball back and push forward once again. Sandro then swings a wonderful cross into the box and towards Barzagli, but the ball sails just over the defender's head.
25'
Sturaro twists and turns over on the left wing before being fouled, resulting in free-kick for Juventus in a good position. It fails to result in a chance on goal though, as Chievo defend it well.
23'
G. Higuaín has scored a goal for Juventus! Assist by P. Dybala.
That was lovely play by Dybala, who did really well to pick out Higuain in the heart of the box, but where were the Chievo defenders? They left Higuain all alone in front of goal.
GOAL! Juventus have taken the lead! Dybala continues to cause Chievo problems as he skips into the right-hand side of the penalty area and along the byline. He gets away from his marker and then cuts the ball back to Higuain, who calmly slots a lovely shot into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
22'
Sandro darts down the left wing and does well to carve out a bit of space for himself. He then cuts inside and chips a deft cross over towards Cuadrado, but the Colombian is unable to reach the ball and loses out to Nicolas Spolli.
20'
Thumping strike by Dybala! The Argentine gets himself into a good position 25 yards away from goal and immediately unleashes a rocket of a shot, and it's one that Seculin can only tip over the top of the crossbar for a corner.
18'
F. Cacciatore gets yellow.
Chievo push forward again as they try to find some joy down the left wing, but they're unable to do so and Juventus counter quickly once more. However, Fabrizio Cacciatore brings the move to an end with a cynical tug on Higuain, which earns the defender the first booking of the night.
17'
Chance for Khedira! A thumping pass into the Chievo penalty area finds Higuain, who knocks it back to Khedira. The midfielder is in a pocket of space on the edge of the box and immediately unleashes a shot, but his low effort is well stopped by a diving save from Andrea Seculin.
16'
Another attempted Chievo attack breaks down, allowing Juventus to counter quickly. It's Dybala who sprints through the middle of the pitch on a marauding run before trying to link up with Higuain, but Radovanovic is there to dispossess the Argentine from behind with a great tackle.
15'
Almost a chance for Pellissier! Chievo work the ball around really well just outside of the Juventus penalty area before Castro swings another dangerous cross towards Pellissier, but the striker is beaten to the ball by Barzagli before fouling the centre-back with a push from behind.
13'
Cuadrado takes on and beats Perparim Hetemaj before poking a lovely pass into the path of Stephan Lichtsteiner. The full-back meets it well and then fires a cross into the middle of the box, but Ivan Radovanovic is there to meet it ahead of Gonzalo Higuain.
11'
Chievo do well to quickly win back possession before another cross is curled into the Juventus penalty area. This time it's unleashed by Lucas Castro, whose pass towards Pellissier is well met by the head of Barzagli.
10'
Sergio Pellissier is fouled from behind by Andrea Barzagli and wins a free-kick for Chievo. It's worked around nicely before Meggiorini swings in a cross from the right wing, but it fails to find a team-mate and is easily dealt with by Sandro.
8'
Juventus push forward once again, and this time it's Juan Cuadrado who bursts down the right flank. He then cuts inside and picks out Khedira in a promising position, but the midfielder's first touch is poor and gifts possession to Chievo.
6'
The set-piece is sent short and worked over to Alex Sandro, who then chips a pass into the penalty area and towards Sami Khedira. It fails to find the German though, as Bostjan Cesar is there to cut out the danger with a volleyed clearance.
5'
Stefano Sturaro embarks on a great run down the right wing after linking up well with Paulo Dybala, and he's clumsily brought down from behind to win Juventus a free-kick in a promising position. Dybala steps up and whips in a dangerous cross, but Riccardo Meggiorini is there to head the ball behind for a corner.
3'
As expected, Juventus enjoy a good start to the game as they patiently hold on to the ball as they slowly work their way forward. They're unable to carve out a chance on goal though, as Chievo have plenty of bodies back to deal with the danger.
1'
We're off! Juventus get us underway, attacking from left to right.
Good evening and welcome to our live text commentary of today’s Serie A game between Juventus and Chievo at the Juventus Stadium.
A nervy and exciting 1-1 draw with Napoli last weekend means that Juventus’ lead at the top of the Serie A table now sits at six points, with Roma, who have won their last three consecutive league games, trying their hardest to chase down the reigning champions. A win here against mid-table Chievo would be a much-needed result, despite it looking unlikely that anyone will be able to catch the in-form Old Lady.
It’s understandable that Juventus have one eye on Tuesday evening’s Champions League clash at home to Barcelona, so they’ll be looking to get past Chievo without too many problems - or injuries. The league leaders shouldn’t have too many issues though, as since the defeat against Fiorentina midway through January, they’ve collected 29 points from a possible 33.
Thanks to an impressive season on a modest budget, Chievo currently sit comfortably in 11th place and are in no danger whatsoever of facing a potential scrap to avoid relegation. They find themselves on a slightly disappointing run though, as both Bologna and Crotone managed to get the better of the Gialloblu in their last two outings, meaning that they have just one win from four games heading into tonight’s tough clash.
Juventus were made to work hard in last season’s corresponding fixture, with Paulo Dybala having to dispatch a late penalty to cancel out Perparim Hetemaj’s early opener. Chievo boast a surprisingly decent record in this part of Turin, where they’ve held the Old Lady to draws on three separate occasions in the last six meetings between the two teams.
There’s just over 15 minutes left to go until kick-off, so let’s have a look at how the two teams will be lining up this evening…
Massimiliano Allegri has decided to make five changes to the Juventus side that started the cup defeat away to Napoli during the week, with Gianluigi Buffon, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Andrea Barzagli, Daniele Rugani and Claudio Marchisio coming into the starting line-up to replace Neto, Dani Alves, Leonardo Bonucci, Mehdi Benatia and Tomas Rincon, respectively.
The two sides are making their way out onto the pitch, with just a few minutes to go until kick-off.
Meanwhile, Chievo boss Rolando Maran has also made five alterations to the team that featured in their last outing, with Nicolas Frey, Dario Dainelli, Alessandro Gamberini, Jonathan de Guzman and Roberto Inglese making way for Nicolas Spolli, Bostjan Cesar, Massimo Gobbi, Perparim Hetemaj and Riccardo Meggiorini.
HALF-TIME: JUVENTUS 1-0 CHIEVO
So far, so good for Juventus, who looked comfortable during the first half and head into the break with a well-deserved one-goal lead. They've looked dangerous in front of goal and have frustrated Chievo at the other end of the pitch, resulting in the visitors failing to test Buffon with a single shot.
The two teams are making their way back out on to the pitch ahead of the start of the second half.
FULL-TIME: JUVENTUS 2-0 CHIEVO
In the end, it was a relatively comfortable evening for Juventus, who, bar a couple of nervy moments at the start of the second half, easily dealt with the little that Chievo were able to throw at them. At the other end, Dybala and Higuain were in inspired form, resulting in two more goals for the in-form striker to increase his side's lead at the top of the table to nine points ahead of Roma's game tomorrow.
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