Unconvincing Juve keep up the pressure on Napoli

Juventus moved back within a point of Serie A leaders Napoli with a 1-0 win at home to Genoa on Monday although it was hardly a convincing display from the defending champions. Douglas Costa scored in the 16th minute, ending Genoa keeper Mattia Perin's run of four successive clean sheets in the league, to keep his second-placed team on Napoli's heels.

Gathering momentum ...

Juventus make it 7⃣ wins in a row! ? #UCL pic.twitter.com/gxVpV5leLQ

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 22, 2018

Napoli and Juve have each won their last five Serie A games, to reach 54 and 53 points respectively, with Lazio and Inter Milan now trailing the Turin side by 10 points. Costa found Mario Mandzukic on the left and he wrong-footed the Genoa defence with a neat pass back to the Brazilian who was left unmarked to slip the ball past Perin from close range. Genoa were penned into their half for most of the opening period although Diego Laxalt threatened with a long-range drive which fizzed over Wojciech Szczesny's crossbar.

Mario Balotelli 'close to agreeing' free move to Juventus on a five-year deal this summer https://t.co/2j5Qm9ZqDw

— MailOnline Sport (@MailSport) January 22, 2018

Juventus continued to dominate possession after halftime but could not to find the killer second goal. Genoa grew in confidence and pushed forward near the end, causing rare panic in the Juve area before Giorgio Chiellini cleared the ball, but they never looked truly threatening.

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? RECORD#Szczęsny has 10 Clean Sheets n 14 games for #Juve. In comparison with primary goalkeepers at #Juventus, Wojciech is the quickest to accomplishing 10 Clean Sheets in history.

?? ? @13Szczesny13 pic.twitter.com/4LypgOZk1m

— Arjun Pradeep (@IndianRegista) January 22, 2018