Serie A round-up: Juventus starlet Moise Kean, 16, makes Serie A debut in 3-0 win over Pescara

Massimiliano Allegri gave Juventus fans an indication of a likely future star of the club when he sent Kean on for a long-awaited debut having stunned observers with several impressive performances for the club’s Under 19 side.

Juventus' Italian forward Moise Kean controls the ball during the Italian Serie A football match against Pescara at the Juventus Stadium in Turin on November 19, 2016. Marco Bertoorello / AFP

MILAN // Juventus starlet Moise Kean made his Serie A debut at the age of 16 and 265 days on Saturday after replacing Mario Mandzukic in a 3-0 win over Pescara that tightened the champions' grip on the top of the table.

Juventus were cruising to a comfortable win against the league newcomers in Turin after goals from Sami Khedira, Mandzukic and Hernanes wrapped up a fourth consecutive league win to move them seven points ahead of Roma before the remaining weekend fixtures.

But manager Massimiliano Allegri gave fans an indication of a likely future star of the club when he sent Kean on for a long-awaited debut having stunned observers with several impressive performances for the club’s Under 19 side.

Kean, who turned 16 in February, had little time to get into his stride but showed some fancy footwork on his way to winning a corner that, on the stroke of full time, was not given.

It was a brief yet albeit promising cameo that will give fans around the world of seeing Kean, of Ivorian heritage but who has played at all levels for Italy, become the first player born after 2000 to play in the Uefa Champions League from next year.

He was not included in the club’s 21-man squad list for the competition on September 1. Juventus are away to Sevilla on Tuesday in a bid to secure their last 16 ticket in the competition.

Earlier, a second-half double from Lorenzo Insigne boosted Napoli’s hopes of maintaining Champions League football in a 2-1 win at Udinese that pushed the southerners up to fourth at six points behind Juve.

It helped Napoli return among the top five after a six-game streak that featured only two wins, and three defeats.

Maurizio Sarri’s men travelled north looking for their first Udinese win since 2007 and, amid a seven-month goal drought, Insigne looked the last player to get his name on the scoresheet.

Playing in spite of a bout of flu amid injuries to striker Arkaduisz Milik and Manolo Gabbiadini, Insigne turned on the style in 10, second-half minutes to claim his first league goals of the season and his first since April.

Napoli were under pressure early on from towering Colombian Duvan Zapata, the on-loan Napoli man forcing Pepe Reina to save with his chest at the near post minutes after Emmanuel Badu had nodded wide for the hosts.

Insigne almost broke the deadlock on the half-hour but Dries Mertens’s rolled pass for the diminutive winger was intercepted by Silvan Widmer.

Insigne’s luck changed two minutes after the restart when he found space on the edge of the box and promptly fired Jose Callejon’s pinpoint delivery into the roof of the net.

Orestis Karnezis produced a fine, fingertipped save to push Insigne’s drive over the bar and, when left unmarked 12 yards from goal, the Italy forward ballooned over.

Persistence paid off, though, and Insigne’s double was complete on 57 minutes, beating Karnezis one-on-one after outfoxing Widmer.

Stipe Perica rose at a corner to send a powerful header past Reina only two minutes later but Napoli saw further chances by Insigne, Mertens and Giaccherini keep the pressure applied until the final whistle.

Napoli returned to the Champions League group stages this campaign and host Dynamo Kiev at the San Paolo stadium on Wednesday looking to boost their last 16 qualifying hopes.

RESULTS:

Saturday

• Chievo 1 Cagliari 0

• Udinese 1 Napoli 2

• Juventus 3 Pescara 0

FIXTURES

Sunday (all times UAE)

• Sampdoria v Sassuolo, 3.30pm

• Atalanta v Roma, 6pm

• Bologna v Palermo, 6pm

• Crotone v Torino, 6pm

• Empoli v Fiorentina, 6pm

• Lazio v Genoa, 6pm

• AC Milan v Inter Milan, 11.45pm

* Agence France-Presse