Allegri happy after Juventus restore nine-point cushion

Massimiliano Allegri praised Juventus for coming through a "tricky fixture" after they eased to a 3-0 home win over 10-man Lazio on Wednesday.

Mario Mandzukic opened the scoring in the 39th minute before Paulo Dybala grabbed a second-half double for the Serie A leaders.

The result sees Allegri's side regain their nine-point cushion over nearest rivals Napoli with just four games remaining in the domestic season.

"Tonight I thought the boys put in a very good display, especially to not concede," Allegri told Juventus website.

"They did well to control what was potentially a tricky fixture. Of course, we might have laboured less in attack and in possession at times, but it's my job to keep raising the players' games.

"This group came together this season and has improved game by game, so it's now important to conclude the campaign in the best possible fashion and then to think to the future."

But, despite Juventus' comfortable cushion in the standings, Allegri insists his players cannot afford to take anything for granted in their bid to win a fifth-straight Italian title.

"Napoli can still potentially win every game, so we need four points to make the title mathematically certain," he added.

"Three of these points we'll be after on Sunday in Florence, and it won't be a straightforward task for us."

Mandzukic tapped home from close range to break the deadlock before half-time, with Lazio then seeing midfielder Patric pick up a second yellow card early in the second period for bringing down Dybala.

Dybala scored from the penalty spot after Leonardo Bonucci had been pulled back at a corner, with the forward's second goal coming courtesy of Sami Khedira's square pass.

"It was a perfect night. I missed a fairly straightforward chance in the first half, but things improved in the second," Dybala told the club's official website.

"This is a brilliant moment for me and the team. Hopefully we can get the job done in Florence now."