Bernardeschi sprints into the right-hand side of the Chievo penalty area and does well to latch onto a lofted pass, but his run forward was slightly mistimed and the linesman's flag is quickly raised. That should be that for the reigning champions.
89'
R. Bentancur enters the game and replaces G. Higuaín.
Higuain immediately makes way for Rodrigo Bentancur, who comes on in Juventus' final change of the night.
88'
G. Higuaín has scored a goal for Juventus! Assist by Douglas Costa.
Costa has looked really sharp since moving over to the left flank, and he's caused plenty of problems for the home side with his impressive skill and movement. His cross in was a great one and perfectly picked out Higuain in acres of space.
GOAL! It's a second for Juventus! Costa and Higuain link up once again, and this time the striker is easily able to peel away from his markers before nodding a downward header past Sorrentino from six yards out. That's his first league goal since December 1st!
86'
Costa twists and turns over on the left-hand side of the home side's penalty area before poking a pass over to Higuain. The striker quickly moves the ball over to Lichtsteiner as he tries to set up the defender to cross, but the Argentine's pass is slightly overhit and denies the full-back the opportunity to do so.
85'
It's all Juventus at the moment as they continue dominating possession inside the Chievo half of the pitch. As has been the case for most of the evening, they're still struggling to break down the nine men in front of them, with their front three players struggling to find much space in front of goal.
83'
Higuain charges through the middle of the pitch on a marauding run before getting a shot away from just outside of the hosts' penalty area. His strike is well hit, but it's closed down well by a group of defenders and deflects away from danger.
81'
Juventus win themselves a corner over on the left wing that's sent short and worked over to Khedira. The German can't quite guide a cross into the penalty area but sends a deflected pass over to Bernardeschi, who shoots from distance once again but fails to test Sorrentino.
79'
R. Meggiorini enters the game and replaces V. Birsa.
Chievo have made their third and final substitution, with Riccardo Meggiorini coming on to replace Birsa.
77'
Great goalkeeping by Szczesny! Birsa launches a lovely lofted pass over the top of the Juventus back line and towards Radovanovic, who had made a really good run deep into the visitors' half of the pitch. He looks set to reach the ball on the edge of the penalty area, but Szczesny rushes out and blasts the ball back up the pitch at the vital moment.
75'
Bernardeschi is brought into the game once again and this time manages to get a shot away from 25 yards out after cutting onto his left foot, but his long-range effort is poorly hit and Sorrentino is able to watch it sail high over the top of the crossbar.
Minute
Description
73'
A rare Chievo attacking move fails to come to anything, and Juventus quickly hit the home side on a blisteringly quick counter-attack. Costa bursts through the middle of the pitch and works the ball over to Bernardeschi, who is in a good position to break into the box and shoot but can't control the ball and loses possession.
72'
S. Lichtsteiner enters the game and replaces K. Asamoah.
Asamoah receives a rousing round of applause from the travelling fans as he's replaced by Stephan Lichtsteiner.
71'
Higuain breaks into the right-hand side of the Chievo penalty area and manages to latch onto a clever pass across the box. He then quickly gets a shot away, but it's one that's well stopped by Sorrentino and fails to double Juventus' lead.
69'
Chievo are unable to hold onto the ball for long after the restart and Juventus come back once again. Pjanic breaks forward and tries to pick out Bernardeschi once again, but this time his pass over to the right wing is mishit and bounces out of play for a throw-in.
67'
S. Khedira has scored a goal for Juventus! Assist by F. Bernardeschi.
That was a really good run by Bernardeschi, who was easily able to skip away from every single Chievo defender. Nobody picked him up, and they were made to pay when he easily found Khedira with his backwards pass.
GOAL! There's the breakthrough! Bernardeschi makes a great run into the right-hand side of the hosts' box as Juventus come forward once again. He controls the ball near the byline before poking it back to Khedira, who unleashes an absolute rocket of a shot that flies past Sorrentino and into the back of the net.
65'
Benatia goes close! Juventus' dominance means the centre-back is spending more time inside Chievo's box than his own. Quick passing from the visitors looks as if it's going to end in a shot on goal for Benatia, but Dainelli is just about able to blast the ball out for a throw-in before he can do so.
63'
Ball after ball is being flung into the Chievo penalty area, but the home side are just about managing to hold on. Every single player is now camped deep inside their own half of the pitch as they desperately try to keep their determined visitors at bay.
61'
F. Cacciatore goes off after a red card!
RED CARD! Chievo are down to nine men! Cacciatore wasn't at all happy with the referee's decision not to give him a penalty after he thought he was caught from behind by Asamoah, resulting in him reacting angrily. He had slightly too much to say to the man in charge and was eventually shown a straight red card for dissent. The home fans are going crazy!
60'
Rare chance for Chievo! Space opens up over on the left flank for Jaroszynski, who quickly bursts down the left wing on a wonderful run. He then fires a looping cross into the box and onto the head of Cacciatore, who meets it well and forces Szczesny into making a good save.
59'
Mandzukic gets himself into a good position on the edge of the Chievo penalty area as the visitors pile plenty of bodies forward once again, but he's quickly closed down by a group of yellow shirts and can't do anything with the ball.
57'
Juventus are moving the ball around a lot better as they continue trying to find the game's opening goal. This time it's Pjanic who sends a well-placed cross right onto the head of Costa at the far post, but the Brazilian is put off by Cacciatore and can't hit the target with his close-range effort.
56'
Khedira slips into the left-hand side of the Chievo box and somehow manages to find himself completely unmarked in front of goal. He quickly spins and chips a cross towards the penalty spot, where Gamberini dives in front of Higuain and nods the ball away from danger.
54'
Chance for Mandzukic! Great, determined play from Juventus sees them pile bodies forward and carve out an opportunity on goal for Mandzukic, but the Croatian's low strike is well saved by Sorrentino before it can find the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
53'
A. Gamberini enters the game and replaces N. Tomović.
Tomovic was able to continue for a minute or so before falling to the ground once again, and he's eventually replaced by Alessandro Gamberini.
52'
F. Bernardeschi enters the game and replaces S. Sturaro.
Juventus had made their first change of the night as they try to find a way in front, with Sturaro making way for the more attack-minded Federico Bernardeschi.
51'
There's a brief break in play after Tomovic goes down off the ball. He's been struggling with some sort of groin problem over the past few minutes, and it remains to be seen whether he'll be able to continue for much longer.
49'
Hetemaj bursts deep into the Juventus half of the pitch as he tries to carve out a pocket of space for himself. He's unable to do so and eventually pokes the ball over to Cacciatore, who fires a cross into the penalty area but can't quite find a team-mate in front of goal.
47'
Almost a great chance for Higuain! Khedira chips a lovely lofted pass over the top of the Chievo back line and into the hosts' box. The striker looks set to shoot, but Dainelli dives in front of him before he's able to do so and knocks the ball back to Sorrentino.
46'
F. Depaoli enters the game and replaces M. Pucciarelli.
Chievo have made one substitution during the break, with Fabio Depaoli coming on to replace Pucciarelli.
We're underway once again!
45' +1
A pocket of space opens up for Khedira in the middle of the pitch, allowing him to get a shot away. The German's effort on goal is struck well, but Sorrentino gets down quickly to his right and comfortably manages to deal with the bouncing shot.
45'
The fourth official has indicated that there will be just one minute of added time.
43'
Pjanic makes a good run into the Chievo penalty area and tries to latch onto a curling cross from Khedira, but he can't quite get a head on the ball in front of goal and Bani is able to shepherd the ball out of play once again.
41'
A poor tackle from Dainelli sends Pjanic crashing to the ground and results in a free-kick for Juventus just inside the Chievo half of the pitch. The reigning champions try to take the home side by surprise with a quickly taken set-piece, but Higuain isn't on the same wavelength and the ball rolls past him and behind for a goal-kick.
39'
With one less player on the pitch, Chievo have understandably dropped slightly deeper as they try to keep Juventus at bay until the half-time break. The visitors have dominated possession but so far have struggled to cause too many problems for Sorrentino, who hasn't been forced into making too many saves.
37'
S. Bastien gets a second yellow card and is sent off.
RED CARD! Chievo have performed really well so far, but they've just been handed a huge blow by Bastien. The youngster shows his inexperience as he cynically pulls on the shirt of Asamoah, leaving the referee with no choice but to show him a second yellow card in as many minutes.
36'
Pjanic, who has arguably been Juventus' most dangerous player so far, breaks towards the hosts' box on a great run before setting up Higuain. The striker gets the better of Tomovic and looks set to shoot, but Jaroszynski rushes back to dispossess the Argentine at the vital moment.
35'
S. Bastien gets yellow.
Samuel Bastien is the latest player to receive a yellow card after clattering into Asamoah over on the left flank, leaving the Ghanaian in a heap on the floor and slightly winded.
34'
Valter Birsa has struggled to get into the game this evening due to Juventus' dominance of possession, but he's almost set up deep inside the visitors' half of the pitch after the home side do well to win possession. He can't find a way past Benatia, however, as the centre-back is easily able to hold him off.
32'
G. Higuaín gets yellow.
With the game still goalless, Higuain is starting to get slightly frustrated. He believes Dainelli has handled the ball and immediately screams for a free-kick and yellow card, but the referee doesn't appreciate his outburst and instead books the striker.
30'
Chance for Higuain! Costa sprints past Hetemaj deep inside the Chievo half of the pitch and pokes a pass over to Higuain. The striker quickly shoots from just outside of the box, but he can't quite catch the ball well enough and sends it rolling into the hands of Sorrentino.
28'
Pjanic steps up and unleashes a curling shot, but his effort on goal isn't good enough to beat the wall of yellow shirts camped in front of him, and Chievo are able to hold on once again.
27'
Costa picks out Higuain and sets up the Argentine on the edge of the hosts' penalty area, where he's clumsily dragged to the ground by Dainelli and wins his side a free-kick in a very promising position. It looks as if Pjanic is going to shoot...
25'
Khedira charges towards the Chievo box before chipping a clever cross over towards the far post, where it finds Mandzukic. The forward rises high and tries to set up Pjanic with a looping header, but Dainelli is there to beat the Bosnian to the ball.
23'
It's Birsa who steps up and curls a looping cross into the heart of the Juventus penalty area from the resulting free-kick, but Mandzukic is there to get a head on the ball before one of the many yellow shirts can test Szczesny from close range.
22'
K. Asamoah gets yellow.
Asamoah and Cacciatore rise high as they both try to reach the ball, and it's the Chievo man who comes off worst after receiving an arm to the back of the neck. There didn't seem to be much contact, but the referee nonetheless shows Asamoah a yellow card.
20'
A terrible attempted pass from Mattia Bani can only find Asamoah, who quickly kick-starts a Juventus counter-attack. The ball is worked into a central position and over to Pjanic, who shoots from 30 yards out but sends his thumping effort straight into the hands of Stefano Sorrentino.
18'
The home side continue to knock the ball around patiently as they try to take the sting out of the game and enjoy an extended period in possession. Nenad Tomovic pushes forward and fires a pass down the left flank, but it's slightly overhit and can't quite find Perparim Hetemaj.
16'
Chievo are able to enjoy their first decent spell on the ball after another attempted Juventus attack fails to come to anything. They work it around nicely before Cacciatore tries to poke a pass into the penalty area and towards Manuel Pucciarelli, but Mehdi Benatia reads the ball well and is able to shepherd it into the hands of Wojciech Szczesny.
14'
Juventus continue dominating possession as they try to carve out a clear-cut chance on goal. Pjanic does well in the middle of the pitch once again before Khedira tries to play a quick one-two with Higuain, but the German's pass back to the striker is slightly rushed and can only find a yellow shirt.
12'
Vital touch by Fabrizio Cacciatore! More good play by the visitors almost results in a chance on goal. A great cross from Costa sails over to the far post and manages to pick out Mario Mandzukic, but a slight touch from the head of Cacciatore puts off the Croatia international and denies him the opportunity to control the ball properly.
10'
Chievo are unable to clear the danger from deep inside their own half of the pitch, allowing Juventus to come back once again. This time Douglas Costa is brought into the game over on the right wing and manages to cut inside and shoot, and his thumping effort doesn't fly too far wide of the far post.
9'
Asamoah makes another determined run down the left flank and latches onto a good cross-field pass from Sami Khedira. He then cuts the ball back to Stefano Sturaro, who immediately tries to set up Higuain on the edge of the penalty area but misplaces his first-time pass.
7'
Pjanic wins possession for Juventus in a dangerous position and sets up the visitors to quickly counter-attack. The Bosnian sprints towards the box and tees up Gonzalo Higuain, who tries to unleash a shot but can't quite get the better of Dario Dainelli at the near post.
5'
Ivan Radovanovic is caught by a high boot from Pjanic, resulting in a free-kick for Chievo midway inside the Juventus half of the pitch. It's taken quickly and sent down the left flank, where Pawel Jaroszynski fires a low cross into the penalty area and, eventually, behind for a goal-kick.
3'
As expected, Juventus start the game on the front foot and win themselves an early corner after good play by Kwadwo Asamoah deep down the left wing. It's Miralem Pjanic who swings a cross into the middle of the box, where the home side do well to clear the danger.
1'
We're off! Juventus get us underway, attacking from right to left.
Good evening and welcome to our live text commentary of today’s Serie A game between Chievo and Juventus at the Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi.
Tonight’s clash brings together two sides that find themselves in very different circumstances just past the halfway point of the season. Whereas high-flying Juventus have failed to win just two of their last 13 league games, struggling Chievo are in free fall. Five defeats from seven outings has left them only six points clear of the relegation zone and in desperate need of a return to winning ways.
Chievo’s latest defeat came against Champions League chasers Lazio, who mercilessly thrashed them 5-1 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome to pile more pressure on boss Rolando Maran. The Flying Donkeys have been hit with injury concerns in recent days, leaving them in a less than ideal situation as they prepare to take on a side they haven’t beaten in over eight years.
Things are going much better for Juventus, as a run of five consecutive Serie A wins has left them just one point behind current league leaders Napoli at the start of the day. Inter’s recent struggles means the two teams are battling one another at the top of the table, and with Napoli also on a five-game winning run at the moment, another victory is a must for Juventus if they’re to keep the pressure firmly on the Partenopei.
Juventus will certainly be feeling confident about their chances of coming away with all three points, as they’ve comfortably dominated this fixture in recent years. 10 of the last 11 meetings between the two sides have ended in wins for the Old Lady, with Chievo only managing to avoid defeat once since March 2012. It’s safe to say they haven’t enjoyed the best of times against Juventus since returning to the top flight.
There’s just under 15 minutes left to go until kick-off, so let’s have a look at how the two teams will be lining up this evening...
Rolando Maran has decided to make two changes to the Chievo side that started the defeat against Lazio, with Dario Dainelli and Pawel Jaroszynski coming into the starting line-up to replace Mariusz Stepinski and Massimo Gobbi as they switch to a five-man defence.
Meanwhile, Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri has made four alterations to the team that featured in their last outing, with Stephan Lichtsteiner, Giorgio Chiellini, Alex Sandro and Blaise Matuidi making way for Mattia De Sciglio, Andrea Barzagli, Kwadwo Asamoah and Stefano Sturaro, respectively.
The two sides are making their way out onto the pitch, with just a few minutes to go until kick-off.
HALF-TIME: CHIEVO 0-0 JUVENTUS
It's been a well-organised and hard-working performance from Chievo, who were torn apart by Lazio last time out but have played much better this evening. They've done well to frustrate their opponents, who have seen plenty of the ball but have struggled to do much with it, and they deservedly head into the half-time break with the scoreline still goalless. That could change after the break, however, as two needless yellow cards for Bastien mean they will have to play with 10 men for the remainder of the game. Can they hold on?
The two teams are making their way back out on to the pitch ahead of the start of the second half.
FULL-TIME: CHIEVO 0-2 JUVENTUS
It was a strange and action-packed game, but in the end Juventus had enough firepower in their ranks to pick up their sixth consecutive Serie A win. Chievo put in an impressive defensive performance and arguably could have come away with a point if things went slightly differently, but poor discipline hurt the hosts and resulted in them ending the evening with just nine players on the pitch.
The win has sent Juventus to the top of the table for now, although Napoli will move back ahead of them if they're victorious against Bologna tomorrow. As for Chievo, they remain just six points clear of the relegation zone and will be looking nervously over their shoulders. It's now over two months since they last won in Serie A.
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