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MILAN -- Title-winning teams often grind out results despite not playing well -- and that is precisely what Juventus is doing.Chievo Verona had won just one of its last six matches but Juventus struggled to break it down before eventually winning 2-1 on Sunday.Juventus remained four points clear of second-placed Roma and five above AC Milan.Miralem Pjanic had struggled to fit in since transferring from Roma in the offseason but he scored what was to prove the winner for Juventus in the 75th minute with a trademark free kick into the top right corner from just outside the area. Chievo goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino barely moved.I won the free kick and I put it in. Im happy, but whats important, above all, is the three points, Pjanic said. I always do my utmost to fit in as best as possible, its obvious that I want to do more, but its a new system, its a different kind of football to where I was before, but Im adapting.Im not worried, I know that there are always great expectations in a great club, that doesnt worry me, Im staying calm, I do my work as best as possible. So slowly but surely Ill get there, Im a new footballer here, but Im happy to be here.Mario Mandzukic broke the deadlock in the 53rd, controlling Juan Cuadrados through ball before driving across into the bottom left corner.Mandzukic almost scored a stunning goal in the first half, nodding on a long ball and flicking it over Nicolas Spolli before firing over the bar from six yards.Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was making his 600th Serie A appearance, becoming only the fourth player to reach that mark after Paolo Maldini (647), Javier Zanetti (615) -- who are both retired -- and Roma captain Francesco Totti (607).Buffon was decisive in the 64th to deny Lucas Castro from point-blank range, but could do nothing moments later as Sergio Pellissier converted a penalty after being tripped by Stephan Lichtsteiner.There was more bad news on the injury front for Juventus, which is already without Giorgio Chiellini. Fellow defender Andrea Barzagli was stretchered off in the fifth minute with a dislocated shoulder.---PALERMO, 1 AC MILAN 2It was the battle of the young goalkeepers in Sicily. Milan shotstopper Gianluigi Donnarumma is just 17, while Palermo counterpart Josip Posavec is 20.Their combined age is less than that of Buffon, who is 38.Posavec gifted Milan the lead in the 15th minute, colliding with his own defender as he came out to collect Mattia De Sciglios cross and losing the ball, allowing Suso to deposit the ball into an empty net.Posavec made up for his error in the second half with three stunning saves to deny Suso each time but was beaten in the 82nd, when substitute Gianluca Lapadula cheekily backheeled Susos long-range attempt into the bottom corner.It was the first Serie A goal for Lapadula, who had only been on the pitch three minutes.Palermo had leveled in the 71st when Ilija Nestorovski ran onto Alessandro Diamantis through ball and drilled it into the near corner for his third goal in as many matches.---INTER MILAN 3, CROTONE 0Problems continued for managerless Inter Milan on and off the pitch, with a win over Serie As bottom side in a hostile atmosphere at San Siro.The scoreline was more generous than Inter deserved, with three goals in the final six minutes. Mauro Icardi netted twice, the first a penalty, after Ivan Perisic had fired the Nerazzurri in front.It was only Inters fifth win this season and fans made their displeasure known with several insulting banners directed at the players as well as the club owners and directors.The club released a statement on Sunday, saying it would announce the new coach in 48 hours. Youth coach Stefano Vecchi replaced the fired Frank de Boer on Tuesday on a temporary basis.---ROMA 3, BOLOGNA 0After Icardi moved level with Edin Dzeko at the top of the scoring charts, all eyes were on the Roma forward to see if he would strike again.Instead of Dzeko, it was Mohamed Salah who stole the headlines with his first hat trick in club football.Roma went ahead in the 13th minute as Adam Masina attempted to clear Salahs effort but only succeeded in prodding it past his own goalkeeper.The league credited the goal to Salah and the former Chelsea midfielder went on to score a second-half brace, taking his tally to eight for the season -- one behind Ciro Immobile and two below Dzeko and Icardi.The only other time Salah has netted three in a match was in a World Cup qualifier for Egypt against Zimbabwe in 2013.---OTHER MATCHESEmpoli ended its goal drought in spectacular fashion, scoring double the number of goals it had netted all season, in a 4-0 win at fellow struggler Pescara.Massimo Maccarone netted twice for Empoli, which hadnt found the back of the net in the last eight rounds, and also provided the assist for Manuel Pucciarelli. Riccardo Saponara added a fourth in the final minute.Atalanta won 3-0 at Sassuolo to continue its impressive run of form and move level on points with fourth-placed Lazio after a sixth win in seven matches.Elsewhere, Fiorentina vs. Sampdoria and Genoa vs. Udinese both ended 1-1. Adidas NMD R1 New Zealand . Speaking Thursday on TSN 1050 Thursday, the Leafs GM also touched on the questions surrounding the teams leadership and the struggles of his big-name free-agent signing. “Its not from lack of effort from the coaching staff. Adidas NMD NZ Sale . But now that hes in the NHL, the Calgary Flames centre showed big improvement in that department by scoring the winner in the eighth round of a 5-4 shootout victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. http://www.nmdshoesnz.com/adidas-alphabounce-cheap-nz.html . The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers all won on Sunday meaning the Rangers will host the Rays in a play-in game on Monday. Adidas NMD Human Race NZ .B. -- The Baie-Comeau Drakkar took over sole possession of first place atop the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on Thursday with their sixth straight win. Adidas Neo NZ . The move comes after the Canadiens were approached by the Buffalo Sabres for permission to speak to Dudley - a former Sabres player and head coach. "The Sabres called for permission and I appreciate that, Im flattered, Dudley told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun of ESPN. SPRINGFIELD, N.J. -- Rickie Fowler couldnt resist smiling Thursday when a reporter tried to artfully phrase a potentially prickly question about his midseason struggles this year.Hed just shot a 2-under 68 in the first round of the PGA Championship, so it was an odd time to talk about why he has been a hot mess in all the majors this season, but the reporter tap-danced around it anyway: Is it fair to say the middle part of your year wasnt quite what you wanted it to be?The middle part was terrible, Fowler said. You dont have to sugar coat it. It wasnt very good.It was a nice bit of candor from one of golfs typically reserved personalities, and it spoke to just how lost Fowler was for a stretch of 2016. After starting the year with four top-10s in his first five starts -- including a near miss at the Waste Management Phoenix Open -- he found himself mired in a tailspin in which he missed cuts at four of the most important tournaments: The Masters, The Players, The Memorial and The Open Championship.Missing cuts is definitely not fun, and definitely not whats planned, Fowler said. Swing wise, its just fundamentals. At the highest level, if you are off just a little bit, especially in a major, it picks you apart.Six years into Fowlers career, its still hard to project what kind of player hell go down as. An overhyped, streaky fan favorite? Hes likely better than that, especially after retooling his swing under Butch Harmon and finding more consistency. He has won three times since rebuilding his swing, including earlier this year in Abu Dhabi at the HSBC Championship.An all-time great? Might be a stretch, but its still possible. Hes only 27 years old, and Phil Mickelson didnt win his first major until he was 33. Five out of the past six major winners have been first-timers, which suggests he has karma on his side. When hes playing well, Fowler hits it so pure, its hard to imagine him never breaking through and winning a major. He doesnt have any glaring weaknesses. Hes currently sixth on the PGA Tour in strokes gained tee-to-green, 13th in total driving distance, and 48th in strokes gained putting.Butt in a way, playing so well in 2014, when he became only the third player in history (joining Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods) to finish in the top five in all four majors in one season, may have raised expectations to unrealistic levels.dddddddddddd Winning the Players in a playoff in 2015 only fueled the hype even more. Touted at the start of the year as a potential member of The Big Four, with Jason Day, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy, Fowler now isnt even a lock to make the U.S. Ryder Cup team. Hes 10th in points, and might need Davis Love III to make him a captains pick without a strong showing over the final month of qualifying.All of which is why Fowlers first-round 68 at Baltusrol was a positive sign. In the opening round of the past seven majors, Fowler had been a combined 25-over par. And after starting with a bogey on the 10th hole, his first of the day, he then made four birdies on the back nine to finish the day 3 strokes behind Round 1 leader Jimmy Walker, who shot 65.Definitely happy with todays round, Fowler said. Anything in red numbers is always nice to start off a major. ... I like my chances. Ive been swinging well and heading in the right direction. Anything can happen this week.Fowlers youth, his embrace of social media, and his unique sense of style can create the impression (at least among some fans) that he doesnt care enough -- that he isnt as focused on winning tournaments the way Spieth, Day and McIlroy are.Its an unfair characterization, and Fowler put some of it to rest earlier this year when he choked up in his post-round media conference after losing in a playoff to Hideki Matsuyama in the Waste Management Phoenix Open. It was obvious, in both his words and how his voice broke several times, how badly he wanted to win in front of his father and grandfather, who were in attendance.With how good Im playing, I know I can win. Thats what hurts, Fowler said at the time.After a frustrating couple of months, Fowler may finally be back there again. ' ' '