Juventus go back-to-back with routine win over Empoli
There has been a goal scored inside the opening 35 minutes in each of Juve’s seven competitive home matches this season, so it came as no surprise when Kean diverted Filip Kostic’s cross home for his first league goal of the season after only eight minutes.
This would prove to be the first of numerous efforts on goal from both teams in an entertaining first half in Turin.
Kean could have grabbed himself a second goal just after the half-hour mark, but after meeting a cross into the area his header flew just wide of the left post.
Empoli were giving as good as they got though, as Mattia Destro saw his shot from the edge of the area palmed away by Wojciech Szczesny, when a shot either side of the Polish stopper would surely have caused him more problems.
McKennie must have thought he had doubled Juventus’ lead when he fired an effort towards the right corner, however Guglielmo Vicario’s excellent diving save denied the American.
Gli Azzurri continued to look promising in attack, and they came close to equalising in first-half stoppage time when Marko Pjaca headed just wide.
The optimism of the visitors following their positive first-half display was soon dampened after the break when McKennie outjumped everyone inside the area, heading home from Juan Cuadradro’s corner to make it 2-0 with the hour mark approaching.
Kean then headed in shortly after for what he thought was his second goal, but the linesman’s flag went up for offside.
A brace from Rabiot added extra gloss to the scoreline in the closing stages, as the Frenchman rounded off a comprehensive victory for the Old Lady despite a brave effort from the visitors. Juventus climb one place to seventh, while Empoli drop to 11th.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Filip Kostic (Juventus)