MILAN: Juventus put their Champions League woes behind them to consolidate fourth place in Serie A on Sunday with a 2-0 win over basement club Salernitana, while AS Roma stunned city rivals Lazio 3-0 with three first-half goals in the capital derby.

Days after their 3-0 European humiliation by Villarreal, Dusan Vlahovic set up one goal and scored another as Juve kept their push to recapture the Serie A title alive with a win which moves them one point behind champions Inter Milan who are third, with a game in hand. Leaders AC Milan have a three-point advantage on Napoli, with Juve seven points off top spot.

In Rome, Tammy Abraham bagged a brace, scoring the opener within the first minute at the Stadio Olimpico. The England striker quickly added a second before Lorenzo Pellegrini’s stunning free-kick. Roma moved up to sixth at the expense of Lazio who slipped out of the European places.

Atalanta jumped above Maurizio Sarri’s men into fifth with a 1-0 win over Bologna, as 18-year-old Moustapha Cisse came on as a substitute and scored a late winner on his debut.

Two first-half mistakes gifted Francesco Caputo two goals as Venezia lost 2-0 in a relegation fight against Sampdoria. Venezia remained three points from safety while Sampdoria climbed seven points above the bottom three.

Hellas Verona drew 1-1 at Empoli after striker Giovanni Simeone failed twice with the same penalty.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2022