Evra helps Juventus banish away-day blues
Patrice Evra played a key role for Juventus as he headed the Scudetto holder to a 3-1 win over Empoli at the Stadio Carlo Castellani.
Defender Patrice Evra netted a rare goal to help Juventus come from behind to defeat Empoli 3-1 as the reigning Serie A champion claimed a first win in five away games in all competitions.
Juve was forced to dig deep when Massimo Maccarone looked dangerous for the hosts right from the start and gifted his side a surprise lead halfway through the first half.
Mario Mandzukic restored parity at the half-hour mark, though, before Evra headed home his first goal since December 2014.
Paulo Dybala punished wasteful Empoli with Juve's third six minutes from time as Massimiliano Allegri's men secured back-to-back league victories for the first time this season, although they still trail leader Inter Milan by nine points.
The Turin side first threatened after 15 minutes when Paul Pogba tried his luck with an ambitious volley from outside the area that was too high.
Mandzukic should have opened the scoring 60 seconds later after a perfect cross from Juan Cuadrado, but the former Bayern Munich forward failed to properly connect and tapped his shot just wide from close range.
Empoli proved to be more clinical in front of goal and broke the deadlock after 19 minutes. Riccardo Saponara intercepted Leonardo Bonucci's poor pass from the back and Maccarone collected the loose ball on the edge of the area before beating Gianluigi Buffon with a low shot.
Saponara will feel he could have done better when he evaded a number of opposition players, but his shot from 20 yards lacked the power and precision to worry Buffon.
Juventus restored parity just after the half-hour mark after some unconvincing Empoli defending. Sami Khedira won a header to set up Mandzukic and the striker slid the ball past goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski.
Evra then gave the reigning champion the lead after 38 minutes. Cuadrado curled in a corner from the right and the former Manchester United defender beat his marker to the ball to head home.
Maccarone came close to netting an equaliser on the stroke of half-time after some fine work from Saponara, but his shot from the right-hand side of the area went inches wide of the far post.
The veteran striker had a great chance to make it 2-2 shortly after the break with a superb free-kick from Leandro Paredes, yet Maccarone, but he aimed wide from just five yards out.
Juventus was again fortunate not to concede a second goal at the hour mark. Maccarone sent in a dangerous free-kick from the edge of the box and Mandzukic nearly beat his own goalkeeper with his attempted clearance.
Allegri's side looked dangerous again with 20 minutes left, but Pogba blasted his shot over after cutting inside from the left.
A third Juve goal did arrive late on, however. Mandzukic hit the upright after Skorupski had kept out Stephan Lichtsteiner's initial attempt, but Dybala was alert to tap home the rebound.