Juventus 4th in Serie A after thumping Cremonese

Juventus kept hold of fourth spot in Serie A on Monday after cruising to a 5-0 win over Cremonese and continuing their revival under Luciano Spalletti.

Three ahead at half-time through Gleison Bremer, Jonathan David and Kenan Yildiz, a Filippo Terracciano own goal and strike from Weston McKennie made sure of a comprehensive fifth win in six league matches for Juve.

Juve are level on 39 points with champions Napoli and Roma, and just four behind league leaders Inter following a dominant display in Turin.

However Inter, Napoli and second-placed AC Milan all have a game in hand due their participation in the Italian Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, with those matches to be played on Wednesday and Thursday.

Promoted Cremonese already had a mountain to climb after just a quarter of an hour as Bremer fortuitously deflected Fabio Miretti's volley past Emil Audero. That was quickly followed up by a brilliant counter-attack finished off by Canada striker David.

And Davide Nicola's team's hopes were extinguished shortly after they had a penalty, for a Manuel Locatelli challenge on Dennis Johnsen, revoked following a VAR check midway through the first half.

That decision sparked a furious reaction from Nicola who was promptly sent off for dissent, and within minutes Federico Baschirotto conceded a penalty for handball, even though the ball was deflected onto his arm from his own foot.

Yildiz hit the post from the spot but lashed home from a fortunate rebound, and from that point on the result was never in doubt.

McKennie made sure of Juve's biggest margin of victory under Spalletti, who replaced Igor Tudor in late October, by forcing Terracciano's own goal shortly after half-time and then slotting home the fifth in the 64th minute.