Juventus 3 Pescara 0: Khedira, Mandzukic, Hernanes extend winning run

Champions Juventus cruised to a 3-0 win over Pescara to extend their lead at the top of Serie A to seven points.

With second-placed Roma travelling to Atalanta on Sunday, goals from Sami Khedira, Mario Mandzukic and Hernanes put further daylight between the Bianconeri and their title rivals.

Juve had won their previous 22 home league games, and, despite a number of changes with one eye on a midweek Champions League clash at Sevilla, that streak rarely looked like coming to an end.

Pescara did threaten on occasion in the first half, but could not find a response when Khedira’s strike broke their resolve after 36 minutes.

Instead, the hosts pushed on, with Mandzukic and Hernanes adding a gloss to the scoreline that was thoroughly deserved by full-time.

Gonzalo Higuain also came close to scoring on a number of occasions, but a combination of poor finishing, good goalkeeping and the woodwork denied the Argentine an eighth league goal of the season.

Juve struggled to find their rhythm in the game’s early exchanges, with Higuain nodding wide from Alex Sandro’s driven cross when the first chance finally arrived.

Hernanes then flashed a low shot past the far post from 25 yards, before Higuain blazed over when a loose ball fell his way just inside the area.

Pescara then should have taken a shock lead as Hugo Campagnaro’s hopeful lofted pass set Gianluca Caprari away through the centre, but the 23-year-old poked wide after holding off the challenge of Leonardo Bonucci.

The Bianconeri lost Stephan Lichtsteiner to injury, but his replacement Juan Cuadrado soon inspired the opener.

Darting inside from the right, Cuadrado squeezed the ball forward to Mandzukic, who teed up Khedira to prod a low finish into the far corner.
Back came Pescara, though, and Neto could only gather Ledian Memushaj’s powerful strike from the left at the second attempt.

Higuain looked to double Juve’s advantage after the break, pouncing on a wayward pass to curl a fine effort over Albano Bizzarri and against the far post.

A lightning break from Khedira then created another opening for Higuain, but Bizzarri was down to parry his tame finish.

However, a second goal arrived after 63 minutes.

Khedira, assisted by Mandzukic in the first half, nodded the ball onto the toe of the unmarked Croatia international, who calmly finished from close range.

Higuain nodded over, but another goal quickly arrived from the boot of Hernanes, with his phenomenal dipping strike finding the bottom corner from 25 yards.

Bizzarri made a good stop from Stefano Sturaro, but his efforts counted for little as Dario Zuparic failed to bundle home Pescara’s only remaining chance and Juve saw out an ultimately comfortable victory.