TURIN, Italy :Juventus stretched their unbeaten Serie A streak to 21 games and broke into the top four after second-half goals by Samuel Mbangula and Timothy Weah gave them a 2-0 home win over AC Milan on Saturday.
Forward Mbangula gave Juve the lead just before the hour mark with a curled first-time shot that went in off the crossbar before midfielder Weah doubled the advantage in the 64th minute.
Juventus, the only unbeaten team in Europe’s top five leagues alongside French champions Paris St Germain, moved up to fourth spot on 37 points.
Thiago Motta’s side have struggled for points recently, drawing seven of their previous eight league games.
Milan, who suffered their first defeat under new manager Sergio Conceicao, are eighth with 31 points and a game in hand.
Milan were without the injured winger Christian Pulisic, their leading scorer this season with 10 goals across all competitions, and suspended striker Alvaro Morata, with Tammy Abraham and Yunus Musah stepping in.
The game went goalless into the break after an entertaining first half, with good chances for Milan forward Rafael Leao and Juve’s Kenan Yildiz.
Juventus continued to dominate possession after the restart and the 21-year-old Mbangula broke the deadlock in the 59th minute, sending the ball in off the bar after it took a deflection off Milan defender Emerson Royal.
Weah made it 2-0 five minutes later following a solo run.
Kephren Thuram released him from the halfway line, and the United States international beat Milan keeper Mike Maignan with a low shot inside the far post.
Juventus have kept four consecutive clean sheets against Milan in Serie A for the first time.
They last beat Milan at home in a competitive match in November, 2019.