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Juventus battle back to win at Empoli

Juventus came from behind to beat Empoli 3-1 on Sunday and record their first win on the road since Sept. 20.

Massimo Maccarone put Empoli ahead in the 19th minute but Mario Mandzukic equalised in the 32nd minute.

Patrice Evra then gave the visitors the lead six minutes later with his first goal of the season before substitute Paulo Dybala all but assured Juve victory with his team's third six minutes from time.

The win was the fifth of the campaign for the defending Serie A champions and lifted them to seventh place. They are nine points adrift of league leaders Inter Milan.

Despite a good start, Juventus conceded a goal with Empoli's first shot of the game.

Riccardo Saponara fed Maccarone just outside the area and he hit a diagonal strike past Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

It marked the seventh time this season in the league that an opponent scored with their first attempt against Juve.

The visitors pulled level shortly after when Sami Khedira headed a cross into the path of Mandzukic and the Croatian beat Empoli goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski with a right-footed shot from the heart of the area.

Juve went ahead before the interval as Evra got past his marker and headed Juan Cuadrado's cross past Skorupski.

Empoli almost equalised early in the second half but Saponara's right-footed shot was saved by Buffon.

In the 84th minute, Mandzukic's attempt rattled the left post, but Dybala was first to the rebound and he blasted the ball into the back of the net as Juve ended Empoli's three-match unbeaten run.