Juventus extends Serie A lead
Fabio Quagliarella scored a hat trick as Juventus put its first defeat in 50 Serie A games behind it with a stunning 6-1 victory at Pescara.
By firing six past Pescara, Antonio Conte's side extended its lead at the top of Serie A to four points over Inter Milan, its conqueror last week which travels to face Atalanta on Sunday.
Arturo Vidal opened the scoring and Kwadwo Asamoah and Sebastian Giovinco were also on target for the visitors, while Emmanuel Cascione scored Pescara's consolation.
It did not take long to realize which way the game was heading as Juventus took the lead in the ninth minute, having had Pescara on the back foot.
Vidal was picked out by Giovinco and he became the first to beat Mattia Perin with a well-directed shot.
Quagliarella missed a good chance just two minutes later, but he was just getting warmed up.
In the 22nd minute, he scored his first and Juve's second, sweeping the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal from 15 yards after being set up by Mauricio Isla.
A free kick from Quintero hit the inside of the post with Gianluigi Buffon beaten in the 24th minute and, 60 seconds later, Cascione headed the ball in off the post to halve the deficit.
Normal business was restored five minutes later, though, when Asamoah scored with a low overhead kick on the six-yard line after Quagliarella had lifted the ball up for him with his heel.
Quagliarella then set up Giovinco for an unstoppable volley to make it 4-1 in the 37th minute as Juventus ran away with the game.
Claudio Marchisio came to Buffon's rescue to make an acrobatic clearance off the goal line as Pescara almost grabbed a second, but Quagliarella put the result beyond any doubt on the stroke of halftime when he netted his fourth of the season with another accurate effort from just inside the penalty area.
The best was yet to come from the Italy international, who completed his hat trick in style in the 53rd minute.
"It's the first hat trick of my career, so I will treasure the match ball," Quagliarella said. "I dedicate the goals to my mother, who is in hospital after undergoing surgery."
He met Andrea Pirlo's corner with an overhead kick into the top right-hand corner of Perin's goal, leaving the Pescara goalkeeper with no chance once again.
He was soon replaced to a standing ovation from all corners of the Adriatico.
Giovinco did not want to be outdone by his teammate, but he only found the side-netting in the 76th minute, having taken the ball past Perin, missing out on what might have been his second of the game, though Juventus had already more than done enough.
Saturday's other Serie A match was an entirely forgettable affair as Cagliari and Catania played a goalless draw in an encounter that featured just three attempts on goal.
Marco Sau had two of them at the end of the first half before missing another opportunity in the opening minute of the second period.
The rest of the game was bereft of chances with neither side, in truth, even deserving a point for their efforts -- or lack thereof.
Information from Press Association and The Associated Press was used in this report.
