Lecce 0 - 1 Juventus - Matri wins it for Juve

Alessandro Matri scored the only goal of the game to see off bottom side Lecce and keep Juventus neck and neck with AC Milan at the top of the Serie A table.

Matri headed home from close range after 27 minutes to settle a game in which neither side made the most of plenty of chances.

The win moved Juve, looking for their first Scudetto since 2003 and still unbeaten in the league this season, level on 37 points with Milan, who beat Atalanta 2-0, and two points ahead of Udinese.

Lecce, in contrast, and losing touch at the foot of the standings, this defeat leaving them nine points from safety.

But the hosts had the first chance of the match when Luis Murial headed Massimo Oddo's cross wide of the left post.

Simone Pepe's shot from outside the area was saved low down by Massimiliano Benassi at the other end before opposite number Gianluigi Buffon kept out Guillermo Giacomazzi's effort from another Oddo cross.

After that shaky start the visitors began to establish a foothold in the game with Arturo Vidal and Fabio Quagliarella both firing wide.

Benassi did well to save a Matri shot and then kept out a long-range strike from Mirko Vucinic.

But the pressure paid off in the 27th minute when Matri beat Benassi with a header into the bottom right corner.

Lecce did not fold, though, and Juan Cuadrado sent a shot wide before David Di Michele tested Di Michele from range.

Lecce continued to look for an equaliser after the break, Oddo putting in another cross which former Juve man Ruben Olivera headed over.

But they always looked vulnerable at the back and Vucinic shot just over and Giorgio Chiellini brought another save out of Benassi.

Matri should have created a second for Vucinic in the 78th minute following a counter-attack, but he made a mess of his cross with the Montenegrin unmarked in the centre.

Vucinic forced a save from the busy Benassi before Lecce had a chance to level only for Cristian Pasquato to mis-hit his shot from close range.

Matri might have sewn up the win in the 89th minute, Benassi saving his powerful shot, but one goal proved enough for Juve.