Juventus returned to the top of the Serie A standings after a 3-0 win at Genoa on Saturday as striker Dusan Vlahovic found the net twice to help Thiago Motta’s side recover their scoring touch.

Juventus started their campaign with consecutive 3-0 wins but drew each of their last three league games 0-0, topping the table with 12 points from six games.

They are one point ahead of second-placed Torino, who hosts Lazio on Sunday, and rivals AC Milan and Inter Milan in third and fourth.

The teams – who drew both Serie A encounters last season – started cautiously, and a dull first half ended with no shots on target, with Vlahovic sending a free kick just over the bar.

But the game came alive when Juventus were awarded a penalty for Koni De Winter’s handball after the break, and the Serbia striker made no mistake when he converted from the spot.

He scored again in the 55th minute, sending a Teun Koopmeiners pass into the far bottom corner from a tight angle before the Dutch midfielder hit the bar from close range shortly after.

Vlahovic had a chance to seal the win with a hat-trick late in the game, but his header missed the target from point-blank range.

Substitute Francisco Conceicao sealed the win with a low, one-touch finish from near the penalty spot one minute from full-time.

Juve have a perfect record so far of six games with a clean sheet, the first such run in the club’s history.

The last side to have managed a similar feat were AC Milan in 1993 under Fabio Capello.

The game in Genoa was played behind closed doors after crowd violence during their Coppa Italia fixture against Serie B side Sampdoria left more than 50 people injured.

Juventus travel to RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday before they host bottom side Cagliari in Serie A on October 6.

Genoa, who were unbeaten in their previous three league games against Juventus, have one win from six games and are 16th on five points.

(Reuters/NAN)