Serie A wrap: Juve march on, Catania win

Juventus took another big step towards a second successive Serie A championship, taking a 2-0 win at Bologna on Saturday.

The defending champions struggled early on to break down a dogged rival, but once Mirko Vucinic gave his side the lead just after the hour mark it was all too easy, and victory was assured when Claudio Marchisio doubled the lead 12 minutes later.

With things all square at the break, Vucinic finally put the champions ahead after brilliantly turning Naldo with his back to goal and, clean through on Gianluca Curci in the Bologna goal, he powered an unstoppable shot to put his side in the ascendancy.

Victory was assured 17 minutes from the end when Bologna’s defence was ripped open by a brilliant sequence of passes, and Claudio Marchisio was the beneficiary as he stayed onside and stroked the ball passed Curci to put his team 2-0 up and end the game as a contest.

The win moves Juventus 12 points clear on top of Serie A, although Napoli can cut the deficit to nine with victory on Sunday over Atalanta at the San Paolo.

In Saturday’s other match, an Alejandro Gomez brace powered Catania to a 3-1 home win over Udinese, putting them into seventh place on the table.

Gomes netted in the 49th and 67th minutes, and when Francesco Lodi scored in the 71st minute the match was as good as over, although Luis Muriel did score a late consolation for the visitors.