Turin, Oct. 22 (BNA) Two goals from midfielder Adrien Rabiot helped Juventus crush Empoli 4-0 at Allianz Stadium on Friday, as Massimiliano Allegri’s side won back-to-back Serie A matches for the first time this season.
Juventus, who won 1-0 in the Turin derby last time out, climbed to seventh place with 19 points, one point behind Inter, who travel to Fiorentina on Saturday.
“Now we look like a team,” Allegri told DAZN.
“We started (the season) well, then had a bad week, which cost us the delay in the championship. Tonight we had to assert ourselves and we did a good job.
“We are improving, the fact that the team kept a great pace in the second half is a good sign of our physical condition.”
Striker Moise Kean put the hosts ahead in the eighth minute when he hit a beautiful cross from Philip Kostik.
The 22-year-old netted in Serie A for the first time since last April with his first goal at Allianz Stadium this year.
Kane could have scored another goal right after the half-hour mark, but I saw him go wide.
Empoli had the opportunity to equalize goals through striker Mattia Destro, but Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny stopped his attempts.
Weston McKinney doubled Juve’s lead shortly after the break when Juan Cuadrado sent in a superb pass and the USA international hit the ball into the roof of the net.
Kane thought he had increased their advantage, but his effort was ruled out for offside and Juventus failed to score again until Rabio tapped into another minute pass from Cuadrado to make it 3-0 with a header in the 82nd minute.
The Frenchman completed the defeat in stoppage time to score his second double this season for Juventus in all competitions.
“The problem is that we played our game (only) until the 60th minute,” Empoli coach Paolo Zanetti said.
“Then, after we scored in the corner kicks, we disappeared from the field – that shouldn’t happen because then you risk scoring seven goals.
“The problem today was mental, obviously we met a strong team and the result should make us grow.”
Juventus travel to Lecce in Serie A on Saturday after visiting Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Empoli, 11th in the standings, host second-placed Atalanta on October 30.
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