Gonzalo Higuain scored two as Juventus marked boss Max Allegri's 100th Serie A match in charge with a win that leaves them seven points clear at the top. Higuain dinked a shot past Cagliari keeper Rafael from Claudio Marchisio's pass before half-time. He later slid Paulo Dybala's pass under Rafael early in the second half to become this season's joint top scorer in Serie A with 18 goals. Cagliari midfielder Nicolo Barella was sent off for two bookable offences.

Barella, the home side's best player, was already on a yellow card when he caught substitute Miralem Pjanic late from a Juventus throw-in. Allegri's side recorded a fifth successive Serie A win, restoring their seven-point lead after it had been cut by wins for Napoli on Friday and Roma earlier on Sunday. Roma's 2-0 win at Crotone moved then above Napoli into second - and came with a goal and a penalty miss from Edin Dzeko, who is level with Higuain on 18 league goals.