24.11.2013 18:34 h

Football: Llorente, Tevez send Juve top

Die Spieler des AS Rom haben Grund zur Freude
Die Spieler des AS Rom haben Grund zur Freude

Second-half strikes from Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tevez secured a 2-0 win away to Livorno on Sunday to send champions Juventus top of Italy's Serie A for the first time this season.

Elsewhere, Lazio escaped with a 1-1 draw away to 10-man Sampdoria while Fiorentina's hopes of challenging for a place in Europe next season were dented by a 1-0 defeat away to dominant Udinese.

Juventus now have a two-point cushion on overnight leaders Roma ahead of the capital side's home game against struggling Cagliari on Monday.

Napoli, stunned 1-0 at home by Parma on Saturday, are now six points off the pace in third and could see Inter Milan match them on 28 points if the Nerazzurri win away at Bologna in Sunday's late game.

Llorente, who also set up Tevez's strike, said: "We have to take it a game at a time but, for sure, overtaking Roma can add a little pressure to them.

"But we have to keep on winning, concentrate on our own jobs and continue doing what the coach asks us to do."

Juventus travelled to Tuscany looking for their fourth successive league win, with goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, making his 500th Serie A appearance, having kept clean sheets in their three previous games.

Despite missing several defenders due to injury and suspension, prompting coach Antonio Conte to slot midfielder Arturo Vidal in the middle of his back three, the Bianconeri weathered a frustrating first period and made the difference in 12 second-half minutes.

Goalscoring action was scarce in a frustrating first half for both sides.

However, Juventus saw claims for a penalty waved away just before the hour despite the ball clearly coming off the arm of Federico Ceccherini.

Minutes later Llorente broke the deadlock when he smashed a volley past Francesco Bardi from Paul Pogba's cross from the right, and the Spaniard then held up several defenders to lay the ball off for Tevez to hit a low drive past the goalkeeper at his near post.

Conte said: "We struggled to find the openings at first, but when the goals came it was from situations that we had worked on in training."

Although Roma could regain top spot with a win on Monday, results elsewhere would be welcomed by Juventus, who host FC Copenhagen on Wednesday in a Champions League clash they cannot afford to lose if they harbour any hopes of qualifying from Group B.

Two weeks after a 3-0 rout away to Juve, Napoli's second successive defeat also left them without influential midfielder Marek Hamsik, who suffered a foot injury, ahead of their crucial Champions League clash away to Borussia Dortmund.

Fiorentina were dominated throughout a 1-0 defeat away to Udinese that left 'La Viola' with their third defeat of the campaign, but still in fifth place.

Coach Vincenzo Montella said: "We just couldn't get going in the second half. We were far too frenetic."

Sampdoria suffered a blow from the opening minute of the second half when Nenad Krsticic saw red for a challenge on Cristian Ledesma which left the Italian midfielder.

However, with new coach Sinisa Mihajlovic in charge, the hosts rallied and substitute Roberto Soriano headed Samp into a shock 67th minute lead after keeper Federico Marchetti had fumbled at the crossbar following a poor clearance.

Samp looked to have secured all three points until their defence allowed Lorik Cana to weave his way towards the edge of the area where he beat Angelo Da Costa at his near post with a low drive.

Mihajlovic, who appeared as a player for both Sampdoria and Lazio, was disappointed but buoyed by his side's performance.

"It's never pleasing to concede a goal in the dying seconds. I'm more sorry for the lads because they showed how they can play, how they can fight," said Mihajlovic, who quit as Serbia coach in midweek.

"But we shouldn't let the heads go down, we've shown what we're capable of and I'm sure we will fight our way back up the table."