Juve win 12th in a row to go four points clear in Serie A

Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus vs Atalanta - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - March 14, 2018 Juventus’ Gonzalo Higuain in action with Atalanta's Gianluca Mancini REUTERS/Massimo Pinca

MILAN (Reuters) - Juventus claimed their 12th league win in a row when they beat Atalanta 2-0 on Wednesday in a match originally postponed by snow to go four points clear of Napoli at the top of Serie A.

Gonzalo Higuain and Blaise Matuidi scored in each half of a typically efficient performance which left the Turin side as favourites to win a seventh successive title.

Juventus also kept a clean sheet for the eighth Serie A match in a row and have yet to concede a goal in the league this year.

Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus vs Atalanta - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - March 14, 2018 Juventus’ Blaise Matuidi and team mates celebrate after the match REUTERS/Massimo Pinca

Atalanta finished with 10 men after Gianluca Mancini was booked twice in as many minutes and sent off.

Juve's opening goal was almost entirely down to Douglas Costa, the Brazilian winger winning the ball in his own half and then running 50 metres before releasing Higuain, who advanced and placed his shot past Etrit Berisha.

It was the feisty Argentine forward's 15th league goal of the season.

Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus vs Atalanta - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - March 14, 2018 Atalanta's Bryan Cristante in action with Juventus’ Kwadwo Asamoah REUTERS/Massimo Pinca

Mancini was sent off in the 79th minute after successive bookable fouls on Higuain and Giorgio Chiellini and Juve immediately added a second.

Paulo Dybala sent a low cross into the area to Higuain and he found an unmarked Matuidi who swept the ball home for the second.

Juventus have 74 points from 28 games -- 24 wins, two draws and two defeats -- while Napoli are on 70. The Turin side visit SPAL on Saturday where they have a chance to open up a seven-point lead before Napoli host Genoa on Sunday.

Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus vs Atalanta - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - March 14, 2018 Juventus’ Gonzalo Higuain in action with Atalanta's Gianluca Mancini REUTERS/Massimo Pinca

Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus vs Atalanta - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - March 14, 2018 Juventus’ Gonzalo Higuain applauds fans after the match REUTERS/Massimo Pinca

(Writing by Brian Homewood; Editing by Toby Davis)

Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus vs Atalanta - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - March 14, 2018 Juventus’ Blaise Matuidi scores their second goal REUTERS/Massimo Pinca

Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus vs Atalanta - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - March 14, 2018 Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri gestures REUTERS/Massimo Pinca

Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus vs Atalanta - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - March 14, 2018 Juventus’ Gianluigi Buffon REUTERS/Massimo Pinca

Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus vs Atalanta - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - March 14, 2018 Juventus’ Gonzalo Higuain scores their first goal REUTERS/Massimo Pinca

Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus vs Atalanta - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - March 14, 2018 Juventus players and mascot after the match REUTERS/Massimo Pinca