Clinical champions pounce on Napoli slip-up
Leonardo Bonucci scored on his return to Turin but it proved inconsequential as Juventus earned a vital win in the Scudetto race.
Juan Cuadrado and Sami Khedira struck late as Juventus surged four points clear atop Serie A in a 3-1 victory over AC Milan at Allianz Stadium on Saturday.
Leonardo Bonucci had looked set to play the role of pantomime villain when he cancelled out Paulo Dybala's opener with a 28th-minute header against his old club.
But the end of the champions' 10 successive Serie A clean sheets was eventually softened by substitute Cuadrado, the winger nodding in Khedira's cross.
Khedira himself then completed the win with a clinical effort as Juve opened up a precious gap to second-placed Napoli, who drew 1-1 at Sassuolo earlier in the day.
Milan have not beaten Juve in Turin since 2011 – now head coach Gennaro Gattuso scoring the winner on that occasion – and they appeared destined for more pain when Dybala got the scoring underway in the eighth minute.
Bonucci stunned his former faithful to give the visitors hope, the defender sprinting to the away supporters in celebration of what could have been a key goal in the context of the Rossoneri's Champions League hopes.
But Cuadrado and Khedira ensured they would they remain eight points behind rivals and fourth-placed Inter Milan ahead of the midweek Derby della Madonnina, as the Bianconeri's unbeaten run extended to 25 matches in all competitions.