Juventus striker Paulo Dybala scores twice as Italians crush Zenit St Petersburg to reach Champions League knockouts

Juventus are through to the knockout stages of the Champions League as a Paulo Dybala brace helped them to a 4-2 win over Zenit St Petersburg in Turin.

The Old Lady made an electric start and went close as Bernardeschi forced a smart save from Stanisllav Kritsyuk and Dybala hit the post.

But the Zenit backline's luck eventually ran out when Dybala found space from a corner, his half-volley bouncing beyond Kritsyuk and into the net.

The hosts were cruising and looked likely to double their lead, but energy levels dipped for five minutes and Zenit took full advantage of their temporary lapse in concentration.

Vyacheslav Karavayev found space on the left and his looping cross was met by Leonardo Bonucci, but the ball looped off his head and into the net beyond the helpless Wojciech Szczesny.

Juventus started the second half back on top with Dybala the menace-in-chief, shooting at will from inside and outside the box.

And he was given a chance from the penalty spot when Chiesa was tumbled inside the box by Malcom.

Dybala sent the penalty well wide but was given a second chance as two Zenit players had entered the area, and the Argentine made no mistake the second time, grabbing his second of the game and handing the lead back to Juventus.

And the brilliant Chiesa - a threat all evening - grabbed the goal his performance deserved and put the game to bed as he skinned Dejan Lovren and Dmitri Chistyakov before rifling past Kritsyuk.

Morata added a fourth for fun in the last ten minutes to ensure all three points and a place in the last 16 for Juventus, despite Sardar Azmoun's injury time effort.

Paulo Dybalo (Juventus). The Juventus forward had a licence to shoot in Turin and took every opportunity to do so. Dybala gave his side the lead with a brilliant half-volley after just 16 minutes, and gave them back the lead with his second from the spot that he dispatched so cooly after missing his first go. Only a few excellent saves denied him a hat-trick.

The Old Lady languish in ninth in Serie A but you wouldn't have guessed they were struggling domestically as they qualify for the Champions League knockouts with 12 points from 12.

It's a perfect record so far for the Italian giants who will now duke it out with Chelsea over who gets top spot.

That said, Zenit are still in with the tiniest of chances should they win their next two and Chelsea lose. But, no matter what happens there, Juventus are home and dry.

Juventus: Szczesny 6, Danilo 7, Bonucci 6, De Ligt 7, Sandro 7, Chiesa 8, McKennie 7, Locatelli 8, Bernardeschi, 7 Morata 6, Dybala 9. Subs. Arthur 5, Rabiot 5, Rugani n/a, Kulusevski n/a.

Zenit: Kritsyuk 7, Rakitsky 6, Chistyakov 6, Lovren 5, Karavayev 6, Mostovoy 6, Wendel 6, Barrios 7, Sutormin 6, Claudinho 5, Azmoun. Subs. Malcom 6, Drugovoy 5, Dzyuba 5, Yerokhin 5, Kuznetsov n/a.

11' GOAL! JUVENTUS 1 ZENIT 0 (Dybala). And there's the goal! Bernardeschi swings in a corner which is nodded on by De Ligt into the feet of Dybala. The forward hits it first time and it bounces into the ground and into the net. Juve lead! Fully deserved.

26' - GOAL! JUVENTUS 1 ZENIT 1 (Bonucci og). Stunning! Zenit level! Karavayev whips in a ball down the left and Bonucci rises highest to meet it. But unfortunately for the Italy defender it loops up and over Szczesny and into the net.Top bins that. A brilliant header. Wrong end of the pitch.

55' - PENALTY TO JUVENTUS! Chiesa is bundled to the ground and the ref points to the spot. It's a stonewall pen but the Zenit players are claiming Morata fouled one of their players in the build-up...Pen stands anyway.

57' - MISSED PENALTY! DYBALA SENDS IT RIGHT AND WIDE. WHAT A DREADFUL PEN! BUT WAIT. IT HAS TO BE RETAKEN! The Zenit players ran into the box far too early!

58' - GOAL! JUVENTUS 2 ZENIT 1 (Dybala). Dybala is a very lucky man! He steps up for a second time and sends it the same way except this time he tucks it just inside the post. Juventus lead again!

73' - GOAL! JUVENTUS 3 ZENIT 1 (Chiesa). Chiesa has the goal his performance deserves and is that game over? He skins Lovren and Chistyakov with one dummie and rifles into the corner past Kritsyuk. Brilliant goal. Brilliant player.

82' - GOAL! JUVENTUS 4 ZENIT 1 (Morata). There's the fourth! Morata has his goal! It´s a calamity at the back that let´s the Spaniard through on goal and he slides past Kritsyuk. Game. To. Bed.

90+2' - GOAL! JUVENTUS 4 ZENIT 2 (Azmoun). The very definition of a consolation goal as Azmoun benefits from some pinball inside the Juve box and slides past Szczesny.

Dybala has scored six times in ten appearances across all competitions for Juventus this season.