Former Real Madrid man Ronaldo might have netted the second goal, but found his feet in a muddle as he seemed destined to convert from close range and the ball instead flicked backwards for Mandzukic to volley in and clinch the points.
Sami Khedira hit the post inside the opening 20 minutes when the ball ran away from Ronaldo in the area, before Federico Bernardeschi cut in from the right to draw a superb stop from Thomas Strakosha with a teasing curler.
And Juve’s pressure told on the half-hour mark as Pjanic met a bouncing ball 20 yards from goal to arrow a finish into the bottom-right corner.
Lazio gained a foothold in the game either side of the interval, but failed to forge a breakthrough, with Ronaldo coming close when he nodded wide midway through the second half.
The new Bianconeri number seven went closer still when Strakosha tipped a dipping effort over the top and that shot lifted the crowd ahead of Mandzukic’s decisive goal, where Ronaldo could not finish from close range but inadvertently teed up his strike partner.
Having dealt with this tricky encounter, Juventus’ schedule looks a little kinder on paper. A trip to newly promoted Parma is next up in a week’s time. Lazio host Frosinone next Sunday
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