Champions League - Juventus 4 Bayer Leverkusen 0

It proved third time unlucky for Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen who crashed to a 4-0 defeat by Juventus in Turin.

The home side were 3-0 up by half-time after the game was finally rescheduled for today after two attempts to play the Group D tie were wrecked by thick fog at the foot of the Superga hills both last week and yesterday evening.

Few fans were able to attend the fixture at the Della Alpi which both clubs opposing this afternoon's kick-off time but Juventus hammered Bayer to give their confidence a massive boost.

Coach Marcello Lippi has seen his team turn in poor league form for two months with Boca Juniors coach Carlos Bianchi and San Lorenzo's Chilean boss Manuel Pellegrini both out of contract next month and available.

But Juve started their home campaign in the second stage of the Champions League with an easy win and they travel to London to face Arsenal at Highbury next week as early group leaders.

Leverkusen struggled to find a hotel last night after UEFA ordered them to play today and stayed 50 miles from Turin at Saint Vincent in the Alps and perhaps the altitude there effected them because they trailed after only eight minutes.

Defender Jens Nowotny headed an Alessandro Del Piero header into the air and the French star scored with his own headed effort.

Lilian Thuram played Trezeguet through to square toi Del Piero to score the second goal in 37 minutes and Alessio Tacchinardi retrieved a deflected corner kick with an overhead cross for Igir Tudor to hit in from close range.

In the 61st minute Pavel Nedved ran down the left and his cross was volleyed in by Trezeguet.