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Serie A round-up: Gonzalo Higuain double inspires Juventus

Gonzalo Higuain celebrates his goal for Juventus
Image: Gonzalo Higuain celebrates his goal for Juventus

Gonzalo Higuain scored twice as Juventus preserved their seven-point lead in Serie A with a 2-0 victory at Cagliari.

The reigning champions registered a fifth consecutive league win in their quest for a sixth straight Scudetto thanks to goals in each half from their striker.

Higuain got off the mark with a flick over Rafael in the 37th minute and two minutes after the break he turned Paulo Dybala's assist home for his 18th league goal of the season. Cagliari later had Nicolo Barella dismissed for fouling Miralem Pjanic.

Earlier, Roma made sure to keep the pressure on Juve by beating Crotone 2-0 with goals from Radja Nainggolan and Edin Dzeko. The Bosnian striker could have scored first but missed a 17th-minute penalty, meaning it fell to Nainggolan to give Roma the lead just before half-time.

Dzeko would manage to notch his seventh goal in six games in all competitions for the Giallorossi, however, as he netted from close range on 77 minutes.

Inter Milan and Atalanta are level on points in fourth and fifth after securing respective victories over Empoli and Palermo.

Eder and Antonio Candreva scored either side of the break as Inter triumphed 2-0 at San Siro while Atalanta were 3-1 winners in Sicily thanks to goals from Andrea Conti, Alejandro Gomez and Bryan Cristante, with Ivalyo Chochev supplying Palermo's consolation in the 41st minute.

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Basement boys Pescara threatened an incredible comeback at Torino but Andrea Belotti's brace put the Granata out of sight in a 5-3 home success.

Iago Falque got the ball rolling with a second-minute opener at the Stadio Olimpico and Pescara looked doomed when Arlind Ajeti and Belotti added further goals before 15 minutes were up.

Adem Ljajic extended Il Toro's advantage eight minutes after the break but, after Belotti grabbed his second on the hour, Ajeti put through his own net.

Visiting midfielder Ahmad Benali, formerly of Manchester City, then narrowed the gap to three goals before frightening Torino with another goal for Pescara.

Roberto Inglese plundered a hat-trick in Chievo's 3-1 win over 10-man Sassuolo in Reggio Emilia. Timo Letschert's third-minute dismissal gave the Flying Donkeys an opportunity to edge ahead, only for Inglese to miss the resulting penalty.

Alessandro Matri nudged Sassuolo ahead in the 24th minute but Inglese levelled shortly before the interval. When play resumed, the Lucera-born striker scored twice more to register his first top-flight treble, with the three points boosting Chievo into 10th place.

Elsewhere, Sampdoria mounted a comeback to defeat Bologna 2-1 in Genoa. Blerim Dzemaili gave Bologna the lead but Luis Muriel's penalty had Samp on level terms before the break, with substitute Patrik Schick completing the turnaround and Ibrahima M'Baye's own goal confirming the outcome.

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