Juventus bounced back from their Champions League exit by extending their lead atop Serie A to six points with a comfortable 3-0 win over Sampdoria.
The Italian giants bowed out of Europe's elite club competition in midweek in agonising fashion, a last-gasp penalty converted by Cristiano Ronaldo proving decisive as Real Madrid progressed to the semifinals.
But Juve displayed few signs of a European hangover and goals from Mario Mandzukic, Benedikt Howedes and Sami Khedira, coupled with Napoli's goalless draw at AC Milan, saw them remain on track for a seventh successive domestic league title.
Sampdoria were the last team to beat Juve in the top-flight in November and they started brightly at the Allianz Stadium as Fabio Quagliarella forced a smart save from Gianluigi Buffon -- back in goal after his controversial sending off against Real on Wednesday.
The hosts gradually established a pattern of dominance and Mandzukic gave them the lead on the stroke of half-time when he volleyed home from substitute Douglas Costa's cross.
Costa came to the fore once again on the hour mark and his delightful chip to the back post allowed Howedes to notch his first goal for the club.
With a quarter of an hour remaining, Costa completed his hat trick of assists by teeing up Khedira to rifle low past Sampdoria goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano as Juventus extended their unbeaten sequence in the league to 19 matches, with 17 wins.
Juventus had been given the opportunity to go clear at the top of the standings by closest challengers Napoli drawing a blank against AC Milan at the San Siro.
Milan had a Mateo Musacchio goal chalked off for offside while Allan, Jose Callejon and Lorenzo Insigne were denied for the visitors.
It also finished goalless in the Rome derby as Lazio and Roma remained third and fourth in the table respectively.
Lazio suffered a woeful 4-1 Europa League defeat which saw them crash out to Red Bull Salzburg 48 hours after Roma produced a brilliant comeback to knock Barcelona out of the Champions League.
There was nothing to separate them in a tense derby, however -- despite a late red card for Lazio's Stefan Radu -- at the Stadio Olimpico as both teams moved to 61 points with Lazio ahead of their neighbours in the standings on goal difference.
Cheick Diabate scored a brace for the third time in as many matches as bottom side Benevento kept their slim survival hopes alive in a 2-2 topsy-turvy draw at Sassuolo, who moved four points clear of the relegation zone.
Diabate opened the scoring for the visitors midway through the first half, but Matteo Politano equalised four minutes before the break.
Sassuolo went ahead for the first time through Politano's 64th-minute effort before Diabate struck again to rescue a much-needed point for Benevento.
Bologna returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over second-bottom Verona thanks to goals from top-scorer Simone Verdi and Adam Nagy.
In the early game, Fiorentina's six-match winning run was ended as they were held to a goalless draw at home to relegation-threatened SPAL.