Juan Cuadrado is dispossessed by the lively Barella, who feeds a pass through to Marco Boriello, left of centre. Cagliari's top scorer has to take it first time, with the angle closing and defenders gaining, but he lashes it high and wide. You can imagine the Sardinian groans, I'm sure.

A change for Cagliari; Daniele Dessena is replaced by Moldova international Atrur Ionita in midfield.

Image source, Reuters

A bit of pressure from Cagliari gets the home crowd going. They have a lot of possession around the edge of the Juve penalty area, and eventually Nicolo Barella gets a shot away, but there are enough white shirts back to block.

Juan Cuadrado races on to a through ball, but is just offside. He claims not to hear the whistle, goes on and lashes a wild shot over the bar. The referee is having none of the Colombia international's excuses, and books him for kicking the ball away. Which, if nothing else, is a stinging comment on just how rubbish Cuadrado's shot was.

Juve's Stephan Lichtsteiner and Cagliari's Nicolo Barella are both left on the turf after what looks at first to be a clash of heads. Bizarrely, play continues as the medical staff of both teams race on to the pitch to treat the players. Eventually, the referee does halt the game; it's actually a collision of shoulders, and Lichtsteiner is still struggling even after receiving attention.

Juventus forward Paulo Dybala has a very optimistic appeal for a penalty rejected as he tangles legs with Nicolo Barella inside the area. There's a saying that if you don't ask, you don't get. But very often if you do ask, you don't get too.

That is Higuain's 18th Serie A goal of the season, which takes him level with Roma's Edin Dzeko at the top of the division's scoring chart.

And it looks very much as if Juventus will be seven points clear at the top in just over 40 minutes from now.

Our Serie A match is up and running once more. Cagliari, despite a flurry of early pressure, haven't threatened Gianluigi Buffon's goal as yet. They need a significant improvement in attack if the to avoid only a third home league defeat of the season.

Back on in Madrid. Still waiting for the teams to return in Cagliari.

Spanish La Liga

La Liga's top two both played yesterday, but third-placed Sevilla have been in action today, and are back on winning form after collecting just one point from their previous two matches.

Jorge Sampaoli's side dug out a 1-0 with at Las Palmas in the 17:30 GMT kick-off. Joaquin Correa, the substitute, scored his first La Liga goal with 10 minutes left. It means Sevilla are three points behind leaders Real Madrid, and two adrift of Barcelona.

Italian Serie A

Image source, EPA

Elsewhere in Serie A, Inter Milan overcame the absences of Mauro Icardi, Ivan Perisic and Marcelo Brozovic - and the disappointment of last weekend's defeat by Juventus - to beat Empoli 2-0. Eder scored the first and created the second for Antonio Candreva.

Like Inter, Atalanta remain firmly in the frame for Europa League football, winning 3-1 at Palermo - who look every bit as certain for the drop as both Crotone and Pescara.

Roberto Inglese got over the disappointment of seeing an early penalty saved by scoring his first Serie A hat-trick as Chievo won 3-1 at Sassuolo. The home side played for most of the day with 10 men; Tim Letschert was sent off in the third minute for conceding that penalty.

In the 17:00 GMT kick-off, Sampdoria scored three in the last 10 minutes to earn a 3-1 win over Bologna, who have had a rotten week one way or another - three defeats and 11 goals conceded.

Italian Serie A

Image source, Gett

Dzeko's one-time Manchester City team-mate Joe Hart had an interesting afternoon as Torino beat bottom Pescara - and threatened to let a 5-0 lead slip along the way.

Andrea Belotti scored twice, amid the sort of ropey defending not normally associated with Serie A, as Torino hit their five. Then they fell asleep and allowed Pescara to hit three in the final 16 minutes, including an astonishing dragged backheel flick own goal from Arlind Ajeti, which I suspect he couldn't do again if he tried 1,000 times. 

If you haven't seen it, just wait a while and someone will no doubt post it on your Twitter feed. It's as weird a goal as I've seen in quite some time.

Italian Serie A

Image source, Getty Images

Let's take a look at the rest of today's Serie A action. There were six other games, starting with Roma, who moved above Napoli and back into second place with a 2-0 victory at seemingly doomed Crotone in the early kick-off.

It was a mixed day for Roma's former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko. Serie A's top scorer hit his 18th league goal of the season to seal the win - but only after missing a penalty for the second time in 2017.

"Next time, I might leave the penalties for someone else to take," Dzeko said. Dry.

Andy White: As a Middlesbrough fan, any goal would be nice never mind a worldy!

I've seen Middlesbrough score this season - should I get a T-shirt made? 

I'm asking for your goal of the season so far - with a description - in honour of the world-class effort that Fernando Torres scored against Celta Vigo in the the first half tonight.

By the way, this was the poster Cagliari produced earlier to lay out the evening's entertainment for the fans. Is there really no Italian phrase for 'face painting'?

I haven't told you that story? In that case, here's a bit of half-time light reading, external for you. Enjoy.

Juan Cuadrado cuts in from the right for Juve, has time and space to cross, and sends the ball flying into the stand. He apologises. Don't worry, mate. We all make mistakes at work. Have I ever told you of the time I left a shift early on the sports desk of a newspaper I worked for and missed Kevin Keegan's resignation as Manchester City manager?

Plenty of entertainment in the Spanish capital so far. Celta Vigo could easily have gone in ahead at half-time, yet they got away with one as Fernando Torres' penalty hit the bar. What a goal it was from Torres, though. Just fabulous.

Having noted Marchisio's booking, I should point out - as I didn't at the time - that it was he who played the sumptuous through pass that Higuain converted for the goal.

Dessena has managed to get to his feet, and has limped to the touchline. It is not yet clear if he will be able to continue.

And now Juventus look very calm and controlled. They continue to pass the ball around patiently, as they were before the goal. But whereas before, Cagliari could let them have possession, now they must be more aggressive - as they were a little in the opening minutes.

Claudio Marchisio, the Juve midfielder, is too aggressive, catching Daniele Dessena, who looks in some distress. It's a yellow card for Marchisio.