Juve trounce Leverkusen

Del Piero is mobbed by his Juventus team-mates

Juventus 4-0 Bayer Leverkusen

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David Trezeguet scored twice as Juventus eased to victory over Bayer Leverkusen in this much-delayed Champions League match.

The game was postponed on two occasions because of heavy fog at the Turin club's Stadio Delle Alpi.

Alessandro Del Piero and Croatian defender Igor Tudor netted the other goals which gave the Serie A side the perfect start to the second phase of Europe's elite competition.

Juventus now lead Group D on goal difference, ahead of Spanish side Deportivo La Coruna.

Bundesliga side Leverkusen looked disorientated by the afternoon kick-off, while the Italians were quickly into their stride.

  Goals

8 mins: David Trezeguet heads Juventus in front

37 mins: Alessandro Del Piero adds second

44 mins: Igor Tudor fires home from close range

60 mins: Trezeguet volleys in his second of the game

Defender Alessandro Birindelli forced an early save from Hans-Jorg Butt.

Trezeguet put the hosts in front after eight minutes following a game of head tennis in the Leverkusen area.

A cross by Gianluca Pessotto was headed back across goal by Del Piero and Leverkusen defender Jens Nowotny headed the ball up into the air.

The Frenchman was first to react and beat Butt to the ball to head home the opener.

Juve dominance

Ulf Kirsten and Oliver Neuville both failed to hit the target when well placed for Leverkusen, while at the other end Del Piero fired high after losing his marker with a brilliant piece of skill.

Birindelli was cautioned after 24 minutes for a foul on Bayer's Brazilian winger Ze Roberto but after 37 minutes Juve made it 2-0.

A ball from Lilian Thuram caught the German defence square and Trezeguet advanced, drew Butt and slipped the ball sideways to Del Piero who scored.

With half-time approaching Juve turned up the heat.

Birindelli's centre was perfect for Trezeguet who headed goalwards but Butt denied him, tipping the ball behind for a corner.

Nedved is forced to battle hard

However, the third goal was not long in coming.

A Del Piero corner was miscued by Mark Iuliano and looked as if it was going out.

But Alessio Tacchinardi put it back in the danger zone with an acrobatic overhead kick and Croatian Tudor reacted quickly to fire home from close range.

Juventus' fourth came on the hour as the result of a well-worked move.

Pessotto played in Czech Pavel Nedved on the left and his cross was met first time by Trezeguet, whose volley found the corner of the net via Butt's fingertips.

Minutes later Trezeguet missed a glorious chance to make it a hat-trick when he miscued wide after good work by Del Piero.

The Germans looked a demoralised force towards the end and, when Neuville hit the side netting, it was a rare sortie for Leverkusen.

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Juventus: Buffon, Tudor, Pessotto, Del Piero, Nedved, Iuliano, Birindelli, Trezeguet, Zambrotta, Tacchinardi, Thuram. Subs: Rampulla, Paramatti, Montero, O'Neill, Zenoni, Davids, Amoruso.

Bayer Leverkusen: Hans Jorg Butt, Nowotny, Ze Roberto, Kirsten, Basturk, Ballack, Lucio, Sebescen, Neuville, Ramelow, Placente. Subs: Juric, Zivkovic, Berbatov, Vranjes, Ojigwe, Brdaric, Schneider.

Referee: Urs Meier (Switzerland).