Report: Juventus 4 - Vicenza 0
Sunday 28th January 2001
Filippo Inzaghi continued his excellent recent form by hitting a hat-trick as Juventus kept up the pressure on leaders Roma by sweeping aside an injury-hit Vicenza side.
Juve hardly had to break sweat as Vicenza handed them a three-goal first-half lead that they rarely looked like clawing back.
The home side were ahead after just eight minutes after a terrible mix-up between defenders Giacomo Dicara and Giuseppe Cardone. Both went for a high ball and collided, leaving Filippo Inzaghi in space to round keeper Giorgio Sterchele and score with ease.
Five minutes later David Trezeguet limped off and was replaced by Del Piero, but with Zinedine Zidane in majestic form, the change didn�t disrupt Juventus� rhythm.
Carlo Ancelotti�s side went two up in the 21st minute, Inzaghi skipping down the right and putting over a perfect cross that Edgar Davids dispatched clinically with his left-foot.
Juve had a slight scare when Uruguayan defender Paolo Montero was forced to clear a close-range Lamberto Zauli shot off the line, but the home side were soon back on the attack.
Another defensive error handed them their third in the 41st minute, Stejpan Tomas losing the ball to Inzaghi in his own half and the pacy striker drew Sterchele before scoring his sixth goal in six games.
Vicenza tried to rally in the second half but with Luca Toni isolated up front the game was already beyond them. Del Piero brought the crowd to its feet midway through the half when he rattled the bar with a dipping right-foot shot after finding space for himself on the edge of the area.
In the 69th minute, Zidane worked his way to the left bye-line with characteristic close control and crossed for Inzaghi to score his third. It was his first hat-trick since hitting three in a 4-0 win over Venezia last February.
For Juve the race for the scudetto is warming up nicely. Vicenza are left looking anxiously over their shoulders at the relegation places, especially as the continued absence of Mohammed Kallon leaves them ill-served in attack.
Juventus: Van der Sar, Paramatti, Montero, Iuliano, Pessotto, Zambrotta, Tacchinardi, Davids; Zidane (Brighi 73), F.Inzaghi, Trezeguet (Del Piero 13)
Vicenza: Sterchele, Cardone (Beghetto 59), Marco Aurelio (Comotto 31), Dicara, Tomas, Sommese, Firmani, Bernardini, Dal Canto (Zanetti 70), Zauli, Toni
Booked: Cardone, Firmani (Vicenza)
Referee: Bertini
