Juve increase Serie A lead

Moise Kean scored a brace as Juventus warmed up for next week’s Champions League showdown with Atletico Madrid by easing past lowly Udinese 4-1 to up open a 19-point lead at the top of Serie A on Friday. Cristiano Ronaldo, Mario Mandzukic and Paulo Dybala started on the bench ahead of next Tuesday’s game where Juventus need to overturn a 2-0 defeat in the last 16, second-leg game in Turin. But 19-year-old Kean was impressive as he partnered Federico Bernardeschi up front, scoring a first-half double in his first Serie A start of the season. The young Italian international opened his account after 11 minutes from a low Alex Sandro cross from close range.

He added a second six minutes before the break, picking up the ball after a Seko Fofana midfield blunder, cutting into the box and finishing off past goalkeeper Juan Musso. “Kean is very good when it comes to running at the goal and finishing, but needs to improve his movement and ball control, but that’s inevitable for a kid born in 2000,” said coach Massimiliano Allegri. “It’s going to be completely different game against Atletico, we need to be sharper and quicker, but we will be ready.” Kean also won a penalty in the 67th minute after being brought down. Emre Can converted and Blaise Matuidi nodded in a Rodrigo Bentancur cross for the fourth minutes later.