Juventus hit back to beat 10-man Catania 3-1 in Turin on Saturday and move back to the top of Italian soccer’s Serie A ahead of AC Milan’s trip to Cesena on Sunday.
Pablo Barrientos gave the Sicilians, who had Marco Motta dismissed in the second half, a shock early lead but goals from Andrea Pirlo, Giorgio Chiellini and Fabio Quagliarella secured the three points.
Juve lead Milan by two points having played the same number of games ahead of their meeting at the San Siro next weekend.
“It will be emotional returning to the San Siro but the game is vital for our season, so I’m calm,” said Pirlo, who scored his first goal for the Old Lady of Turin since a summer move from Milan, where he spent a decade.
“It was an important goal tonight because it got us back on level terms.”
The win ended a run a two straight 0-0 draws for Antonio Conte’s men.
Catania gave their hosts two warning signs as Mariano Izco broke from deep only to shoot straight at Gianluigi Buffon before Sergio Almiron gave the veteran shot-stopper great problems with a swerving long-distance effort.
Juve didn’t heed the warnings and, on four minutes, Barrientos turned Pirlo with effortless ease before curling a delightful left-footer around Buffon from 20 metres.
The equaliser came on 22 minutes as Pirlo curled a free-kick around a badly-placed wall to leave Kosicky motionless on his line.
Juve kept on pushing at the start of the second period with Borriello and Quagliarella having shots blocked while Pirlo whipped a free-kick from distance just over the crossbar.
The game turned when Motta, playing against his former employers, stupidly picked up a second yellow card for a senseless foul near the halfway line 25 minutes from time.
Catania almost went ahead on the counter attack but Buffon blocked Almiron’s fierce low drive.
Then 14 minutes from time, Kosicky failed to gather Pirlo’s free-kick from the right and Chiellini headed home, although he appeared to be leaning on Bergessio.
Kosicky paid for another error nine minutes from time as his scuffed clearance fell to Pirlo who played in Quagliarella to beat the goalkeeper.
Somewhat comically, reserve goalkeeper Marco Storari managed to draw blood from both Quagliarella and Simone Pepe with his over-zealous celebrations.
On Friday, Inter Milan lost for the fifth time in six matches – the other being a draw – as they were humiliated 3-0 at home to lowly Bologna.
Napoli leapfrogged Inter into fifth with a 3-0 win at Fiorentina courtesy of an Edinson Cavani brace and one from Ezequiel Lavezzi.
