Amauri hit his first goal in a Juventus shirt as the Bianconeri beat Udinese 1-0 last night. Juve coach Claudio Ranieri rested Alessandro del Piero and David Trezeguet, but insisted afterwards: "I liked the performance, as we created many chances against a very talented Udinese side that waited for the counter-attack.

"It was very difficult to knock them down, but we kept pushing and it was important to break that deadlock and get the three points.

"We were moving the ball around quickly, but at times should have shown less haste with some long balls. It wasn't easy, though, as Udinese were closing up effectively."

Amauri scored his first Serie A goal in a Bianconeri jersey and forged a new pairing with Vincenzo Iaquinta.

"I think the partnership worked and they combined often. I said at the start of the season, we signed Amauri because he can play alongside any of our strikers and he worked very hard with a lot of movement."

Del Piero and Trezeguet were rested, only coming on for the final four minutes so they could rest for the Champions League meeting with Zenit.

"These are professionals and understand we are fighting for several different tournaments. These are the decisions that a Coach likes, it's not a problem!

"If one day someone is suspended or in bad shape, then the trouble will start, but if all four are in good condition then it can only be good for the team."