Serie A: Juventus 3 Catania 1

Juventus eased to a 3-1 win at home over 10-man Catania to regain top spot in the Serie A table, despite having gone behind early.

Pablo Barrientos shocked the home side with a goal after just four minutes on Saturday, but 18 minutes later Andrea Pirlo drew the game level with a fine free-kick from just outside the box.

The former AC Milan man stepped up his game even further in the second period as he provided assists for Giorgio Chiellini and Fabio Quagliarella after Marco Motta was sent off for the visitors.

Catania made a brilliant start when Motta, on loan at the Sicilians from Juventus, picked out Barrientos outside the box, and the Argentine fired a precise shot into the lower left corner.

Juventus quickly recovered from the early setback and scored a deserved equaliser in the 22nd minute through Pirlo.

The midfielder expertly curled a free-kick from outside the box into the lower right corner to score his first goal for Juventus.

With the score at 1-1 at the start of the second half, the home side continued to press Catania, although the visitors from Sicily looked like they would hang on.

That changed in the 65th minute when Motta was deservedly shown a second yellow card for a terrible challenge on Juventus left-back Paolo De Ceglie and ten minutes later Juventus took the lead.

Chiellini was in the right place at the right time to head in yet another brilliant free-kick from Pirlo, continuing an impressive show by the midfielder.

In the 81st minute, Pirlo was again the creator as he slid a superb through ball in for Quagliarella, who raced ahead of the Sicilian defence and fired a low shot, which deflected off Catania’s goalkeeper Tomas Kosicky before looping into the net to complete Juventus’ 13th win of the season.

The victory took Juventus back to the top of Serie A, two points ahead of AC Milan and seven points ahead of Lazio.

Catania are 13th, equal on 27 points with Atalanta and Chievo.