Juve joy at Christmas 'cushion'

Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon was delighted with a "fundamental" win for his team after Gonzalo Higuain's first-half strike secured a 1-0 victory against Roma and sent the champion seven points clear at the summit of Serie A on Saturday.

"It's a fundamental win for us because the championship still has a long way to go," Juve goalkeeper Buffon told Mediaset.

"It gives us some more belief and a bit of a cushion that allows us to head into the Christmas period feeling great."