First half to forget, second half to remember: Awaken Juve smash sorry Pisa

They say the matches in which everyone counts on the victory and the new three points are the hardest to win, and Juve confirmed this theory last night.

Luciano Spalletti’s men struggled against sturdy Pisa, the bottom-placed Serie A side, for the entire first half, failing to threaten, as the visitors’ fortress held firm.

However, after the break, the Bianconeri shifted into a higher gear and in the opening half an hour of the second half, scored three times, through Andrea Cambiaso (54th minute), Khephren Thuram (65th minute), and Kenan Yildiz (75th minute), sealing the deal against the relegation-strugglers and keeping their Champions League hope alive. Jeremie Boga's added-time goal was only the cherry on top of the Old Lady's terrific second-half performance - 4-0.

Yesterday’s task was relatively easy to overcome. The tougher ones will determine the Old Lady’s Serie A fate.

Yildiz and Conceicao's celebration (©Giuseppe Cottini/Getty Images)

Pisa could have stunned the packed Allianz Stadium only four minutes into the game, but Juventus keeper Mattia Perin superbly stopped Stefano Moreo's close-range header.

As the time passed, the Turin side slowly but surely took control of the match, but the opener wasn't on the horizon. Federico Gatti, Francisco Conceicao, Khephren Thuram, and Jonathan David's efforts were coming one after another, but none was good enough to outsmart Pisa custodian Nicolas Andrade, as the relegation-strugglers held the Bianconeri to a goalless first half.

After the break, the Bianconeri continued weaving the web around Pisa's box, and nine minutes into the second period, the deadlock was broken! Following the home team's patient action, Conceicao found a hole in the visitors' defence and passed the ball for Kenan Yildiz, who crossed it to the far post, where Andrea Cambiaso nodded it into the empty net, putting Juve in front.

Eleven minutes later, if was all over for the bottom-placed Serie A team. Weston McKennie stole the ball dangerously close to the rivals' box, Manuel Locatelli hit the post, but the rebound came straight to Khephren Thuram, who easily passed it into the open goal to double Juventus' advantage and seal Pisa's fate.

Locatelli and Thuram after the Frenchman's goal (©Giuseppe Cottini/Getty Images)

Jeremie Boga threatened twice in the following minute, but neither of his shots hit the target. However, they were only an introduction into the third goal in Andrade's net, courtesy of Kenan Yildiz, who skilfully found the bottom-right corner after Conceicao's timely pass in the 75th minute. The third luck was the charm for Boga, as he made it 4-0 in added time, scoring in the second Serie A game in a row.

Juve are now back in contention for one of the Champions League places, but the clash against the team that hit rock bottom like Pisa means nothing. The following 10 rounds will show what Spalletti's crew is actually made of.

SERIE A - MATCHDAY 28

Friday

Napoli - Torino 2-1 (1-0)

/Santos 7, Elmas 68 - Casadei 87/

Saturday

Cagliari - Como 1-2 (0-1)

/Esposito 56 - Baturina 14, Da Cunha 76/

Atalanta - Udinese 2-2 (0-1)

/Scamacca 75, 79 - Kristensen 40, Davis 55/

Juventus - Pisa 4-0 (0-0)

/Cambiaso 54, Thuram 65, Yildiz 75, Boga 90+3/

Sunday

14.30: (2.20) Lecce (3.05) Cremonese (3.80)

17.00: (1.55) Bologna (3.80) Verona (6.75)

17.00: (1.80) Fiorentina (3.50) Parma (4.70)

20.00: (4.50) Genoa (3.40) Roma (1.95)

22.45: (3.40) Milan (3.30) Inter (2.30)

Monday

22.45: (2.25) Lazio (3.35) Sassuolo (3.50)

***odds are subject to change***