Juventus beat Lecce 2-0 with first-half goals from McKennie and Douglas Luiz

Two first-half goals

Juventus won 2-0 at the Via del Mare in Lecce on 25 October, in the eighth round of Serie A. Both goals came before half-time, and Douglas Luiz was involved in each of them. In the 29th minute he took a free kick that caught Lecce's defence standing still, and Weston McKennie reached the ball ahead of the goalkeeper to score. One report gives McKennie's goal as the 33rd minute, while most put it at the 29th. Douglas Luiz doubled the lead in the 41st minute with a right-foot shot from the edge of the box, his first goal for the club. The Lecce goalkeeper got a hand to the effort, the ball struck the post and went in, and a Juventus defender, Gatti, is credited with the pass for the second goal.

Lecce push after the break

Lecce came out with more energy after the interval and dominated possession, although its forwards kept failing to test the Juventus goalkeeper cleanly. Di Francesco changed the shape at half-time, which increased the density of the Lecce midfield and put pressure on Juventus. Spalletti responded with two substitutions of his own. Juventus came closest to a third goal late on, with chances for two of their forwards. Lecce finished with ten men after one of their players was sent off in the 94th minute for excessive protest. The defeat was Lecce's fifth of the season in eight league matches.

Standings and the Champions League race

The win lifted Juventus to 14 points, level with Frosinone. La Stampa places Juventus seventh, three points off the Champions League places, with the result of Milan's match still pending. Lecce stayed on 9 points and dropped to 12th in the table. The gap to Inter and Lazio remains eight points, and Roma are six points ahead. It was Juventus's first league win since 20 September, against Atalanta, ending a run of more than a month without a victory in the league.

Injuries and the next match

Tiago Gabriel left the pitch in the 60th minute with a thigh injury, and a teammate replaced him after he complained of physical problems. The result eases the pressure on Spalletti, who has been criticised by commentators and supporters. Commentators say the team still needs to raise its level and find a more fluid style of play. Juventus's next league match is away at Genoa on Wednesday, 28 October, in the evening.