Early Vlahovic goal decisive as Juventus edge Lecce to go four points clear of fifth

Lecce had only let in a goal before the 15-minute mark once during the whole season, yet their backline was penetrated after merely 11 seconds in this match.

Right from the opening kick, a lengthy pass ahead was controlled by Teun Koopmeiners, who then passed it to Andrea Cambiaso for a delivery into the box, allowing Dusan Vlahovic to shake off his defenders and slot home from six yards, marking his second strike in consecutive matches since returning from injury.

The home team almost hit back perfectly just two minutes in, but Michele Di Gregorio denied Walid Cheddira's close-range shot, with the action staying intense as Francisco Conceicao hit the upright and Vlahovic made Wladimiro Falcone save with his boot, all within the first six minutes.

The pace dropped shortly after and stayed low for most of the opening period, with Ylber Ramadani firing wide for the hosts and Gleison Bremer attempting an acrobatic overhead kick from a set piece that flew high over the bar.

Six minutes from the break, Conceicao regained the ball in Lecce's territory and linked up with Vlahovic, who paused to steady himself before blasting over from just outside the penalty area.

The forward from Serbia believed he had added another in the second half after collecting a loose ball from a Kenan Yildiz attempt and requiring two efforts to get past Falcone, but VAR disallowed it due to an offside position.

It seemed nothing could stop the visitors around the hour, as play shifted to Cambiaso whose driven centre was poked in by Pierre Kalulu at the front post, though VAR again intervened for offside during the sequence, this time involving Vlahovic once more.

Juventus continued to struggle to seal the victory despite promising chances, like Kenan Yildiz's side-footed effort and Vlahovic's miss, while Lecce's few attacks saw Thorir Johann Helgason shoot directly at Di Gregorio and Konan N’Dri evade a challenge but only find the side netting.

Nevertheless, under Luciano Spalletti, the team secured their first triumph in three outings, moving four points ahead of fifth place temporarily and extending their unbeaten streak to 10 Serie A fixtures. Lecce ended their three-match unbeaten spell and remain four points above the relegation spots.