Moise Kean ended his goal drought and Adrien Rabiot scored twice as rejuvenated Juventus eased to a 4-0 win over Empoli on Friday.
Kean had not scored since April, but the striker set Juve on their way to victory with an early strike at the Allianz Stadium.
Weston McKennie doubled the Bianconeri s lead with his first Serie A goal of the season, heading home in the second half, and Rabiot added a late double to cap an impressive performance.
That is now back-to-back wins for Massimiliano Allegri s side, who moved up a place to seventh ahead of a must-win Champions League clash at Benfica next week.
Juve started with great intensity and were rewarded just eight minutes in when Filip Kostic whipped in a cross from the left and an unmarked Kean applied the finish from close range.
Kean should have found the net again just after the half-hour mark but headed a McKennie cross wide from six yards out.
5 Since he played in Serie A (2020/21), Weston McKennie have scored 5 headed goals in the league, only Milinkovic-Savic (7) have scored more goals in this way among the midfielders. Jump.
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo)
The Bianconeri demonstrated the danger they pose from set-pieces to double their lead nine minutes into the second half, McKennie rising to powerfully head Juan Cuadrado s delivery into the roof of the net.
Kean nodded in another sublime Kostic delivery but had his celebrations cut short after straying offside as hungry Juve continued to cause problems.
Juve scored another goal from a Cuadrado corner after 82 minutes, Guglielmo Vicario unable to palm away Rabiot s header before it crossed the line.
The France midfielder then capped a great evening for the Turin giants when Danilo s cross gave him a tap-in at the end.
What does it mean? Bianconeri silencing the critics
It was doom and gloom at Juve a week ago, with Allegri under pressure following defeats to Milan and Maccabi Haifa, but double sessions at a training retreat paid off when they beat Torino in the derby.
The Bianconeri certainly look like they are on the up on the evidence of this victory, which put them above Inter and seven points behind leaders Napoli.
They have now scored eight goals from set-pieces this season, more than any other side in Serie A.
Relief for Kean
Kean had not found the back of the net in a competitive match since a 2-1 win over Sassuolo six months ago, but he repaid the faith shown in him by Allegri.
He really ought to have had more than the one goal, only hitting the target with one of his five attempts.
Kostic a class act
It was Kostic s wand of a left foot that enabled Kean to get back on the goal trail.
Kostic provided five key passes, a figure bettered by no one else on the pitch, showing why Juve were so eager to sign him from Eintracht Frankfurt.
What s next?
Juve travel to Benfica for a huge Group H Champions League showdown on Tuesday, while Empoli are at home to Atalanta next Sunday
