Serie A

Sarri has come under fire following Juve's shock defeat to Hellas Verona last week, which allowed Serie A rivals Inter to move top of the table on goal difference.

There have also been reports former boss Massimiliano Allegri could be brought back to Turin, where ex-Chelsea and Napoli coach Sarri is only in his first season at the helm.

Preparing for Thursday's Coppa Italia semi-final first leg at Milan, Sarri was asked about the pressure and he told reporters, "If I hadn't wanted to be under scrutiny, I would have applied to work at the post office."

Those comments angered the Italian Post Office, which furiously hit back on Wednesday.

The statement read: "With regards to the comment by Maurizio Sarri, 'If I had wanted to avoid tough tests I'd have worked at the Post Office', Poste Italiane invite Mr Sarri to dedicate a few minutes of his precious time to educate himself on the fact the Post Office is the biggest company in the country.

"It is chosen by young graduates as one of the most attractive companies to work for, that it is recognised among the top 500 companies in the world for quality of working life, that it has one of the best performances on the stock exchange in 2019 and is in third place, on the global scale, among Italian companies for image and reputation.

"The tests therefore – contrary to what Mr Sarri maintains – are certainly there for Post Office staff and the company answers to citizens, businesses and public administrations.

"We invite him to view our daily work in person at one of our 15,000 operative offices."

Italy won their first European Championship since 1968 by defeating England on penalties last July at Wembley.

Roberto Mancini's side return to Wembley to meet Argentina in the 'Finalissima' between the Euro 2020 winners and Copa America champions.

Italy have struggled since their last visit to England's national stadium; missing out on a second straight World Cup after falling to a stunning play-off defeat against North Macedonia.

Bonucci has replaced Giorgio Chiellini as skipper of both Juventus and Italy, with his defensive partner heading for the exit door in Turin and announcing he will retire from international football following the game against Argentina.

The 35-year-old Bonucci is relishing the challenge of facing Lionel Scaloni's side.

"They are among the best in the world, Argentina hasn't lost in 31 games and it's no coincidence," he told reporters on Tuesday.

"We need maximum commitment and respect. We must start again and lay the foundations to bring Italy back to the top."

Argentina captain Lionel Messi suggested Italy would have been favourites for the World Cup should they have appeared in Qatar, and Bonucci expressed his gratitude for those comments.

"The fault is ours, it took very little to be able to play in something truly unique for a player's career," he added.

"We thank Messi for the kind words he said about us; tomorrow two winning national teams will meet and we want to put on a show to take the trophy home."

Bonucci hailed Messi, who will aim to guide Argentina to their third World Cup win and first since 1986.

"For a player who has won so many Golden Balls it is difficult to find words to described him," the Juve defender continued. 

"He was, and still is today, with Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the best in the world – great respect will be needed."

As for Chiellini's international retirement, Bonucci hopes to give him a fitting send-off as he outlined his own plans for captaincy.

"We must enjoy this last day with him, he was a great companion on the pitch and in life," he said. "From the day after tomorrow I will continue to do what I have always done, to be an example.

"From Chiellini I learned the ability to work out difficult situations in a short time and find the solution.

"That is the secret that made Giorgio a great person and a great captain, I'll try to smooth out the flaws. My team-mates will have to help me too, just as we helped Chiellini and [Gianluigi] Buffon."

The Italy international, who left the Bianconeri as a free agent when his contract expired last month, has secured a four-year deal with the MLS franchise.

Bernardeschi is the third Italian to join Toronto during this window, with Lorenzo Insigne and Domenico Criscito also arriving in Ontario.

The three-time Serie A title winner brings plenty of experience to the Reds' ranks, having also racked up 182 appearances for Juventus across all competitions, scoring 12 goals while providing 20 assists.

The 28-year-old winger has also earned 39 senior international caps and was part of Italy's Euro 2020-winning squad, scoring his spot-kick as the Azzurri beat England on penalties in the final.

"Having met with Federico a couple of weeks ago, we think he's a great fit for what we're trying to build here at TFC, and look forward to getting him on the field," said Toronto head coach and sporting director Bob Bradley.

Club president Bill Manning added: "We are thrilled to add Federico to our team. As a player and a person, we believe he's exactly what we need right now, both on the field and in the locker room.

"Federico has proven himself to be a champion and a leader at Juventus and for the Italian national team, and brings a pedigree to Toronto that's second to none."

Toronto are 13th in the Eastern Conference and aiming to end a four-game winless run when they travel to Montreal on Sunday.

Inter will leapfrog local rivals Milan and go top of Serie A on Sunday if they defeat Juve in a league game for the first time since September 2016, having drawn two and lost five of their past seven matches.

Andrea Pirlo's side sit four points behind the Nerazzurri but possess a game in hand, so following up their victory over Milan in their previous away league game would put them firmly back in the title race.

However, they have not beaten both Inter and Milan away from home in the first half of a Serie A season since 1930-31.

Former Inter midfielder Veron acknowledged that Juve are not playing at the same level that has seen them win nine straight Scudetti, but he believes they still have a killer edge that is missing in Antonio Conte's team.

"I follow Juve a little bit. I follow Inter more. Juventus must find again what they got in the past years. They felt unbeatable," Veron told Stats Perform News.

"Keeping the same level for many years is very hard. Juve did it. Perhaps this year things haven't gone as they wanted.

"On the other side, Inter have responsibilities. They are looking for the best way to be a great team again. It's not easy. They must find consistency in their results and their football. They must play in the right way.

"When you watch Juve, you know they will win. When you watch Inter, you know it's 50-50. They need to be decisive to gain results."

He added: "For me, the first thing about this match is the morale boost it can mean. That's for sure. After that, you play for points that are important as well.

"But [for Inter] being able to win after a long time would be, for a team who needs victories, important for the title race. For me, it's the most important thing for them."

Veron won the 2005-06 Serie A title - awarded due to Juve's involvement in the Calciopoli scandal - and the Coppa Italia twice during his two seasons on loan at Inter from Chelsea, but the club have not lifted any silverware since 2010-11.

Conte has come under pressure after failing to end that wait in his first campaign at the helm and Veron thinks the coach could use some stronger personalities in his squad.

"It is normal that [Conte] feels pressure from fans who want to win. The club signed stronger players, but it is not so easy to be consistent. You must gain results to get the right winning mentality," said Veron.

"Perhaps they need a player with a strong personality. You asked me for some names [from Inter's past for today], I could have told you three or 10. But today's football is different because of the money.

"It depends on clubs' strategies. In clubs like Inter you need to be used to pressure. In the end, the solution is to build the right team able to handle the pressure. But it takes time."

The outbreak of coronavirus in Italy forced four top-flight matches to be postponed over the weekend, including Sunday's clash between Scudetto hopefuls Inter and Sampdoria.

Italy's move came as part of preventative measures against the spread of the coronavirus, officially named COVID-19 which originated in China, after two people died and dozens more reportedly tested positive.

Now, upcoming fixtures across Italy's leagues are in doubt, with Serie A leaders Juve scheduled to host Inter in Turin on March 1.

"I don't think that in just one week we'd be able to slow down the contagion so much that we could resume sporting events," Conte told Rai.

"We are constantly monitoring the situation and will evaluate. We'll see the evolution of the contagion and evaluate postponing all next week's matches."

Juve are a point clear atop the table following Saturday's 2-1 victory away at bottom side SPAL.

Cristiano Ronaldo marked his 1,000th career appearance with a goal, scoring in an 11th consecutive top-flight match – matching a feat previously achieved by Gabriel Batistuta and Fabio Quagliarella.

In-form Lazio were also in action on Saturday and edged Genoa 3-2 to extend their unbeaten streak to 20 games, while Inter are six points off the pace with a game in hand.

Dybala's early strike set the tone for a routine victory, and Vlahovic doubled the lead after twice being denied by visiting goalkeeper Luigi Sepe.

The home defence was untroubled during a quiet second half, with Juve's win meaning they are unbeaten in their past 33 Serie A outings against teams starting the game in the bottom three.

Massimiliano Allegri's team also extended their unbeaten league run to 16 games, remaining in the hunt for a 10th Scudetto in 11 years. 

Dybala required just five minutes to open the scoring, latching onto Vlahovic's pass in the area before rifling a left-footed shot past Sepe at his near post.

The Argentine should have doubled his tally on 13 minutes, chipping over the bar when through on goal, before Vlahovic was denied by a superb Sepe save after Dybala's unselfish cut-back.

Sepe made another excellent save just moments later, clawing Vlahovic's goal-bound flick away from the bottom-right corner, but the Serbia star did net on 28 minutes when he headed home Mattia De Sciglio's cross from inside the six-yard box.

The Bianconeri did not concede a single shot on target during a dominant first-half display and went close to a third on the hour when Sepe almost spilled Matthijs de Ligt's volley to Vlahovic.

Lively substitute Simone Verdi drew Wojciech Szczesny's first save with a long-range strike, and the Poland keeper made a superb stop from Federico Bonazzoli's volley, as the hosts continued their fine league form.

What does it mean? Bianconeri maintain excellent Serie A run

As well as providing the perfect tonic to their 3-0 Champions League last-16 second-leg defeat, Juve's win moved them back to within seven points of Serie A leaders Milan and maintained their fantastic run of league form.

The Bianconeri are one of just two teams in the big five European leagues, the other being Sevilla, to be unbeaten in league action since the start of December. Allegri's men have taken 35 points from their past 15 games, having collected just 24 from their first 15 this season.

Fast start for Dybala 

Dybala's early strike set Juventus on their way to a routine win and marked the fifth time that the 28-year-old has opened the scoring in a Serie A match this season.

He has now scored eight league goals for Juventus this term, more than any other player has managed for the Bianconeri.

Vlahovic eyeing Stankovic record after bullying promoted outfit 

Having failed to score in his first 12 Serie A games against promoted sides, Vlahovic's first-half header was his 11th goal in his past nine such contests.

With his 48th strike in the competition, Vlahovic has equalled Adem Ljajic as the second-highest scoring Serbian in Serie A history, with only Dejan Stankovic (51 goals) ahead of him on that list.

What's next?

Title-chasing Juve are back in Serie A action after the international break, hosting Inter in a crucial Derby d'Italia clash over the first weekend of April, when Salernitana host Torino.

Juve knew three points would clinch another title but, having won just one of their previous five games, they needed a moment of magic from their talisman in first-half stoppage time to set them on their way.

Ronaldo swept home following a well-worked Miralem Pjanic free-kick for his 10th goal since the league resumed - making him the most prolific player across Europe's top five leagues following the coronavirus-enforced break - and it was an unlikely source who wrapped up the triumph as Bernardeschi scored his first Serie A goal since September 2018.

Juve's night of celebration was only slightly spoiled by injuries to Danilo, Paulo Dybala and Matthijs de Ligt, while Ronaldo slammed a late penalty against the crossbar to miss out on equalling a club record.

Injuries, rather than chances, were the story early on as Samp's Julian Chabot and Juve's Danilo were forced off before Dybala made way too.

Danilo's replacement Bernardeschi forced Emil Audero into a save, but he then failed to hit the target with a set-piece, leading to Juve getting creative from their next dead-ball situation near goal.

Pjanic eschewed a shot, instead squaring for Ronaldo, whose first-time effort found its way into the bottom corner of the net to give Juve a half-time advantage.

Samp threatened a comeback, though, as Mehdi Leris and Lorenzo Tonelli both missed the target either side of a Gaston Ramirez free-kick that Wojciech Szczesny had to claw out.

However, Maurizio Sarri's men could breathe easier when Bernardeschi followed up Ronaldo's saved effort in the 67th minute to score a long-overdue goal.

Any slim hopes Samp had were extinguished when Morten Thorsby received a 77th-minute red card for a second caution following a lunge on Pjanic, with De Ligt then swiftly removed having seemingly sustained a knock in an earlier challenge.

Ronaldo could have added an 89th-minute exclamation point when Fabio Depaoli brought down Alex Sandro in the box, but the Portugal great's effort came back off the woodwork.

What does it mean? Attention turns to Champions League as Juve limp over the line

This Scudetto triumph should have been sealed weeks ago but Juve can finally celebrate again thanks to this victory, while Inter, Lazio and Atalanta will rue their late-season stumbles.

Juventus' focus will now be on the Champions League - and ending a 24-year wait to win that prestigious trophy - and they must overturn a 1-0 deficit in the second leg against Lyon, a task that will be harder if Dybala and De Ligt are missing.

Ronaldo continues red-hot form

Juve's form may have been patchy since the resumption, but 35-year-old Ronaldo has found another gear, stepping up when his team needed him most here.

He has scored 10 in 10 Serie A matches following lockdown, though he would have equalled Felice Borel's record Serie A haul for Juventus of 32 goals in a season had he not missed from the spot late on.

Torrid Tonelli

It was Tonelli's foul on Adrien Rabiot that resulted in the free-kick from which Juventus scored their opener.

Then, having missed a good chance to level when heading wide from a corner, he was caught in possession leading to the crucial second goal.

What's next?

With the Scudetto wrapped up, Ronaldo and others may be rested for the final Serie A fixtures against Cagliari and Roma next week before the Bianconeri resume their Champions League campaign against Lyon in 12 days' time. Sampdoria host Milan on Wednesday before rounding out the campaign at Brescia.

Starting up front in Dusan Vlahovic's continued injury absence, Kean opened the scoring just before half-time with a neat 20-yard lob.

The in-form Italy international then netted his fifth goal in as many games in the 54th minute to make sure of Massimiliano Allegri's side's sixth successive league win – the margin widened further by Arkadiusz Milik's late third.

Victory maintained Juve's hold over Lazio – who have won only two of the past 36 editions of this fixture – and ensured the Bianconeri carry momentum into the World Cup break.

Kean was a threat from the outset, drilling just wide of the far post.

Nicolo Fagioli then called Ivan Provedel into action from distance, while Milik brilliantly controlled a long ball before bending a 20-yard effort marginally wide of the target.

The hosts broke through two minutes before half-time. Adrien Rabiot robbed Sergej Milinkovic-Savic of possession before his precise lofted ball found Kean, who neatly lifted over the advancing Provedel.

Lazio arrived in Turin having conceded just one away league goal this season, but Provedel was beaten again nine minutes after the restart, with Kean tucking into an empty net after the Biancocelesti goalkeeper parried Filip Kostic's initial effort. 

The visitors struggled to pose a genuine threat at the other end. Wojciech Szczesny comfortably saved tame efforts from Luis Alberto and Pedro, before Milik turned home Federico Chiesa's inviting centre to cap a fine Juve win.

The Spain striker struck just after the hour mark before Federico Chiesa's improvised finish and a late Cristiano Ronaldo strike secured an important three points for the Serie A champions.

Having been held to a draw by Hellas Verona last time out, this was an important match for Andrea Pirlo's men, although they looked far from their best in a frustrating first-half performance.

The introduction of Morata helped to turn the tide as Juve moved to within seven points of Inter and three of second-placed Milan, with Ronaldo's effort making the Portugal star the first player to score 20 goals in each of the past 12 seasons in Europe's top-five leagues.

Riccardo Marchizza nearly caught Juve cold seven minutes in, turning and shooting just wide of the left post following Diego Farias' pass.

There was little Juve threat to speak of until Ronaldo, making his 600th career league appearance, smashed a strike off the base of the post three minutes before the break.

The home side's best work was coming down the left, Weston McKennie almost capitalising on a loose backpass and Dejan Kulusevski sending over a cross that Ronaldo could not meet with conviction.

Spezia did not heed the warning and substitutes Federico Bernardeschi and Morata combined from that same position, the latter finishing at the near post and the goal awarded after a VAR review.

With Morata keeping the Spezia defence busy, Kulusevski found Chiesa in the box and, after his initial shot was saved, he expertly hooked in the rebound for 2-0.

Ronaldo was frustrated by goalkeeper Ivan Provedel from a free-kick but left the keeper with no chance, netting a crisp finish a minute from the end of normal time.

Wojciech Szczesny did not have a save to make until the final kick of the match, when he pushed away Andrej Galabinov's tame penalty to deny the visitors a consolation.

Kean had not scored since April, but the striker set Juve on their way to victory with an early strike at the Allianz Stadium.

Weston McKennie doubled the Bianconeri's lead with his first Serie A goal of the season, heading home in the second half, and Rabiot added a late double to cap an impressive performance.

That is now back-to-back wins for Massimiliano Allegri's side, who moved up a place to seventh ahead of a must-win Champions League clash at Benfica next week.

Juve started with great intensity and were rewarded just eight minutes in when Filip Kostic whipped in a cross from the left and an unmarked Kean applied the finish from close range.

Kean should have found the net again just after the half-hour mark but headed a McKennie cross wide from six yards out.

The Bianconeri demonstrated the danger they pose from set-pieces to double their lead nine minutes into the second half, McKennie rising to powerfully head Juan Cuadrado's delivery into the roof of the net.

Kean nodded in another sublime Kostic delivery but had his celebrations cut short after straying offside as hungry Juve continued to cause problems.

Juve scored another goal from a Cuadrado corner after 82 minutes, Guglielmo Vicario unable to palm away Rabiot's header before it crossed the line.

The France midfielder then capped a great evening for the Turin giants when Danilo's cross gave him a tap-in at the end.

Lorenzo Insigne scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot after Giorgio Chiellini caught Amir Rrahmani in the face with a flailing arm.

That was one of only two shots on target Napoli managed in Saturday's 1-0 win at Estadio Diego Armando Maradona, compared to six for Juve - five of those in the second half.

And Pirlo, who saw Juve lose for the second time in five league matches to drop more points in the Scudetto race, felt his side were hard done by.

"They barely had a shot on goal and we lost through a dubious decision," he told Sky Sport Italia. "We played a good game but did not get the result we deserved.

"We played the ball around but not quickly enough, allowing Napoli to get back. We created more chances in the second half but did not find the goal."

Asked to elaborate on why he considered the 31st-minute penalty to be dubious, Pirlo said: "If you give a penalty for that then any contact in the box is punishable.

"If that had been given for us there would have been a lot of controversy and complaints, though I don't know if we would have been given a penalty in a situation like this."

Juventus have had five penalties in Serie A this season, putting them level with Roma and Sassuolo and behind only Milan, who have had an incredible 14.

Alex Meret, a late addition to Napoli's starting line-up after David Ospina sustained an injury in the warm-up, made six saves to frustrate Juve in front of goal.

Cristiano Ronaldo had four on-target shots kept out, while Alvaro Morata had a goal disallowed for an infringement by Chiellini - making his 400th Serie A outing - in the build-up.

But rather than blame his attackers for firing a blank, Pirlo instead credited Meret for standing firm between the sticks.

"My players played the game they had to," he said. "It is normal that playing so many games close together means a loss of sharpness.

"But both those who started and came on from the bench had an excellent game. The only thing lacking in the end was a goal.

"There's no guarantee the team that scores the most goals then wins the Scudetto. 

"We create plenty of chances and the Napoli goalkeeper was man of the match, so I can't complain about my strikers today."

Napoli's victory was their first in four matches and eases the pressure on boss Gennaro Gattuso, who was reportedly set to be sacked had his side lost again on Saturday.

However, Gattuso - a former team-mate of Pirlo's for club and country - insisted he never doubted the backing of his players and staff.

"We showed great heart and determination," he said. "Juve deserved something more, but my team was under pressure and fought hard to keep the clean sheet.

"I never had doubts on this squad, otherwise I would've packed up my things and gone home. 

"You can't get anywhere without the faith of the players. I always felt they were ready to do what I asked and that’s what matters."

The Bianconeri will see a major shakeup in management after confirmation that a shareholders' meeting scheduled for last week has been postponed to next month.

Alongside Agnelli, who has been in charge of the club since 2010, vice-president Pavel Nedved and managing director Maurizio Arrivabene are also among those who have quit.

Arrivabene will apparently remain as the club's chief executive officer to oversee the introduction of a new board, which will be confirmed in January.

In a statement from the club, Juventus confirmed the board's decision to resign had come in the wake of advice following issues raised by Consob, the Italian securities market government authority, and auditor Deloitte.

"The members of the Board of Directors, considering the centrality and relevance of the pending legal and technical-accounting issues, have deemed it in the best social interest to recommend that Juventus adopt a new Board of Directors to address these issues," it read.

"To this end, on the proposal of the chairman Andrea Agnelli... all the members of the Board of Directors present at the meeting declared that they resigned from their office.

"The Board has requested Maurizio Arrivabene to maintain the position of Chief Executive Officer."

The announcement seemingly ends a decades-long relationship with the club for Agnelli, who was the fourth member of his family to serve as chairman.

Juventus are currently third in Serie A, but missed out on progressing to the knockout round of the Champions League, instead dropping into the Europa League this season.

Dybala, 26, is out of contract in 2022, but has been linked with a renewal in Turin after enjoying an impressive season.

Paratici confirmed talks with Dybala were in progress and a fair way down the track, with the playmaker set to stay at Juve.

"We often speak with his entourage and we are moving forward, despite all the difficulties related to the commitments and the movement due to the games that are played every three days," he told Sky Sport.

"Even in this period, we are talking quite frequently and we are well advanced."

Juve clinched a ninth successive Serie A title on Sunday thanks to a 2-0 victory over Sampdoria.

Paratici was full of praise for coach Maurizio Sarri, who secured the league crown in his first season in charge.

"Sarri has made an incredible climb in his career and he's in the place he deserves to be," he said.

"He is certainly one of the protagonists of our season."

Dybala came off against Sampdoria due to a suspected thigh injury in a worry ahead of the Champions League resuming next month.

The Bianconeri were seen as title contenders prior to the punishment being handed down earlier this month, with a 15-point deduction instead leaving Massimiliano Allegri's men mired in mid-table.

That sanction came following an investigation into Juve's past transfer dealings.

The FIGC Court of Appeals published a 36-page document on Monday, which explained the severity of the punishment related to the "repeated and prolonged nature" of Juve's alleged offences.

But a response followed from the club, who had already confirmed they would be appealing.

"Juventus Football Club and its legal team have carefully read and will analyse in depth the justifications, recently published, pertaining to the decision of the United Sections of the Federal Court of Appeal," a statement read.

"It is a document, predictable in terms of content, in light of the heavy decision, but vitiated by obvious illogicalities, motivational deficiencies and unfounded in terms of law, which the company and individuals will oppose with an appeal to the Guarantee Board at CONI within the set deadlines.

"The validity of Juventus' reasons will be asserted firmly, albeit with the respect due to the institutions that issued it."

Rookie coach Pirlo had been unbeaten in Serie A heading into the final match of last year, with only Juve and leaders Milan yet to taste defeat across Europe's 'top five' leagues at that point.

But the Bianconeri lost that record after they went down 3-0 in Turin following Juan Cuadrado's early red card, just their second home league loss to Fiorentina in 30 years.

A short mid-season break gave the sixth-placed defending champions time to stew on that painful result, which followed a 1-1 draw with Atalanta in their previous home match.

Not since early in the 2015-16 season have Juve gone three home games without a win, however, and Pirlo's men are determined to bounce back when they host Udinese on Sunday.

"I found the players well after a period of vacation," Pirlo told Juventus TV. "On Monday, I found a team eager to restart after the last bad performance.

"We have almost all the players back, so we now look to make a good recovery in the league.

"We talked about the match against Fiorentina, which was completely wrong in terms of attitude and everything; we couldn't end 2020 like this.

"There was a nice meeting where we talked and discussed future goals, so it was also productive."

Although Juve are 10 points off the pace with a game in hand, having drawn six times in 13 matches, Pirlo saw "good progress" in the first part of the campaign.

The Bianconeri won the Scudetto in 2001-02 when they were last held as many as six times through 13 rounds and a similar late-season improvement is anticipated this term.

"I would not like to see more matches like the one with Fiorentina," Pirlo added. "But for the rest, we made a good progress, improving on many aspects.

"I am convinced that we can do even better, because we have everything to be able to do much better."

Pirlo was named as Sarri's successor last month and marked his first competitive game in charge with an impressive 3-0 win over Sampdoria last weekend.

Ramsey, who was in and out of the side last season, enjoyed arguably his best game for Juve as he created an unrivalled six chances – including an assist for Cristiano Ronaldo.

And the Wales international revealed the mood has now changed in the dressing room on the back of iconic former midfielder Pirlo's appointment.

"We have a new coach, a new staff, new ideas and the players are very involved in this," he told Sky Sport Italia.

"I think we are having more fun than last year. The training sessions are hard but there is also a little bit of joy."

Dejan Kulusevski and Leonardo Bonucci were also on target for Juventus in their opening match, but Ramsey believes there is still more to come from his side ahead of Sunday's trip to Roma.

"We started well but we still need to improve," he said. "In this team there are many great players, who can all play and help the team reach their goals.

"I'm happy to be able to play together with these top-quality attackers."

Inter finished just a point behind Juve last season and are expected to push the champions all the way this campaign after spending big during the close season.

Ramsey is predicting a tight battle at the top this term, adding: "Inter are a great team and have signed a lot of players. They are are one of the contenders for the Scudetto.

"Like Napoli, who are very strong. Milan finished last season well and started the same way. Serie A is a very tough league."

The Bianconeri ran out 3-0 winners at the Allianz Stadium, clinching their first victory in all competitions since the end of August thanks to goals from Filip Kostic, Dusan Vlahovic and Arkadiusz Milik. 

The result arrested Juventus' slide into mid-table mediocrity in Serie A, although they remain four points adrift of the top four and seven shy of early-season leaders Napoli.

The difficulty of the challenge facing Juve is not lost on Allegri, who says his team need to avoid getting ahead of themselves in the coming weeks.

"We need to take it one step at a time, and hopefully, we can close the gap," he told DAZN. "We closed it last season, so [we know] we can do it again.

"We needed patience and focus to build the performance and get the result. I almost felt like we couldn't believe it when we got back to the locker room.

"It needs to be one small step at a time. We can't make up that difference all in one go. At this moment, we need clear and cool heads."

Kostic netted his first goal in club colours to round off a superb run from Vlahovic, who arguably delivered his best performance of the season in Turin.

Kostic said he would look to repay the favour by teeing up his fellow Serbia international in the future, stating: "I do a good job with Dusan, I thanked him for the assist and I hope I can give one back next time."

The Bianconeri's second team faced Serie C rivals Pianese in Turin on February 23 and since then the club from Piancastagnaio, Tuscany has confirmed four players have tested positive for the virus that emerged in China's Hubei province towards the end of last year.

As such, Juve have taken preventative measures, but insist none of their players have shown symptoms.

"The training activities of the Juventus Under 23 team are temporarily suspended," a statement read on Saturday.

"The preventive measure was decided upon indication, and pending further official communications, by the health authorities of Alessandria (Hygiene and Public Health Service - SISP), with whom the Juventus health personnel are in constant contact.

"The reason is the new cases of contagion of COVID-19, which have emerged in the last few hours among the players of the US Pianese, who the Bianconeri faced on February 23 at the Moccagatta in Alessandria.

"It is specified that, six days after the game, the Juventus players remain asymptomatic and are under medical supervision. Juventus is in constant contact with LegaPro."

Coronavirus' spread to Italy has wreaked havoc on sporting events, leading to postponements at all levels, including Serie A.

Top-flight matches have been postponed for a second successive weekend, with Sunday's Derby d'Italia among those to be called off and rescheduled.

Like all clubs across Europe, Juve have seen their broadcasting, merchandising and ticket revenues hit by the closure of stadiums due to COVID-19.

The Italian club's analysis of the cost of the impact of the pandemic suggests that they are set to lose €320m in total between 2019 and 2022.

As a result, the board have voted through a support plan to help ensure "sports competitiveness and economic-financial sustainability" are maintained.

They have also announced that Maurizio Arrivabene, former team principal of Formula One's Ferrari, will take charge of football business operations.

Juventus missed out on the Serie A title for the first time in 10 seasons last year, with Inter ending their wait to clinch the Scudetto.

Squad building under new boss Massimiliano Allegri continued on Wednesday as the club announced a contract extension for back-up goalkeeper Carlo Pinsoglio.

The 31-year-old has made just one Serie A start in his four seasons at Juve, but is a close friend of their star man Cristiano Ronaldo.

As he recently explained: "I have a beautiful friendship with him, my team-mates make fun of me saying that I'll go to the Euros with the Portugal staff and Cristiano.

"Ronaldo is a simple guy, not a star, he's quiet, he likes to laugh and joke."

Kulusevski, 20, was bought by Juve for €35million in January before being sent back to Parma on loan for the remainder of the season.

The Swedish attacker said he had watched De Bruyne closely and is hoping he can emulate the Belgium star.

"He is one of the top five players in the world," Kulusevski told Sky Sport on Wednesday.

"I study a lot because he is a phenomenal player and because I want to become like [him], but also stronger.

"Among my habits is to watch many games, because I learn a lot from my colleagues."

Kulusevski was also linked with a move to Inter before deciding to sign with Juventus.

The former Atalanta man said Juve coach Maurizio Sarri was one of the key reasons he chose the Serie A champions.

"One of the reasons why I chose the Bianconeri was Sarri," Kulusevski said.

"I think I can do very well and learn a lot with him. I watched all his Chelsea games."