Serie A wrap: Juve move clear

Juventus moved three points clear at the top of Serie A with a 4-0 thumping of Roma on Sunday to firm as title favourites.

The Turin-based club set up the victory with three goals in a dramatic first half that also included a red card to Roma’s goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg.

Arturo Vidal got Juventus off to a brilliant start with two goals in the opening eight minutes.

The Chilean midfielder scored after just four minutes when he fired home Paolo De Ceglie’s cross and then doubled the home side’s lead after running from deep to support Mirko Vucinic, receiving a pass from the Montenegrin striker and powering a shot past Stekelenburg.

The Dutch goalkeeper was sent off in the 26th minute for bringing down Claudio Marchisio in the box but Andrea Pirlo’s penalty was saved by replacement gloveman Gianluca Curci.

Juventus did not have to wait long for their third goal, however, as Pirlo scored three minutes later.

Marchisio wrapped up the win with a fine strike seven minutes into the second half.

The victory puts Juventus three points ahead of AC Milan at the top of Serie A after their main title challengers could only manage a 1-1 draw with Bologna.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored a late equaliser to steal a point for 10-man Milan after Gaston Ramirez’s 26th-minute goal put Bologna ahead.

Daniel Bonera was sent off eight minutes from time for the home side but Ibrahimovic had the last say when his blasted shot went in from a failed clearance.

Fan tempers flared in Siena’s 4-1 win at Genoa with play stopped for over half an hour as Genoa fanatics stormed the field and demanded the players remove their shirts.

With Siena up 4-0 early in the second half angry supporters backed down only after Giuseppe Sculli’s emotional intervention but Christiano Del Grosso’s own goal was all the fans had to cheer about after the resumption of play.

Franco Brienza was on target twice for Siena who moved clear of the drop zone with the important win, while for Genoa their run of games without a win was extended to 12 which sees them hovering dangerously above the drop by a point.

In other results on Sunday, Lazio drew 1-1 at home to Lecce, Fiorentina and Inter Milan managed a scoreless draw and Cesena drew 2-2 with Palermo.