Maximum Serie A points elevated the Bianconeri into a Champions League berth, ahead of Sunday's Atalanta-Bologna showdown.
Although many Juve fans were expecting a demolition job over relegation-threatened Lecce, they celebrated inside the Allianz Stadium as interim manager Igor Tudor continued his unbeaten run.
Tudor, who had seen off Genoa 1-0 and held AS Roma to a 1-1 stalemate, demanded more goals after ironing out scoring problems during training. And he was rewarded with two strikes, both set up by his favorite Serie A player.
Dusan Vlahovic, the club’s leading scorer this term and Tudor's favorite Serie A attacker, provided assists for Teun Koopmeiners and Kenan Yildiz to both score during a one-sided first half.
The 25-year-old saw his attempt saved and a few seconds later picked out Koopmeiners with a sublime weighted pass. The Dutch midfielder made no mistake to beat ‘keeper Wladimiro Falcone from eight yards, and punched the air in celebration. It was a perfect start on his return as a starter by scoring before the 100-second mark.
Di Gregorio to the rescue
Lecce came close to swiftly levelling matters on five minutes, but Nikola Krstovic’s effort was denied up the post and Michele Di Gregorio was quick to smother Krstovic’s second shot from the rebound.
Juve immediately attacked, only for Vlahovic to fluff his chance by sending the ball high over the gaping goalmouth. After Lecce defender Gaby Jean was stretchered off because of a knee injury on 11 minutes, the hosts bombarded the Lecce goalmouth.
Khephren Thuram’s attempt was narrowly wide, while the visiting defence were in tip-top form to block Yildiz twice, Vlahovic twice, Renato Veiga, Thuram and Koopmeiners. Manuel Locatelli should have done better, but fired straight at Falcone instead, and then Weston McKennie’s angled shot went wide.
Eventually Juve doubled their tally on 33 minutes. Thuram soared forward, picked out Vlahovic who slid the ball to Yildiz. The Turkish teenager found the far right corner from the edge of the area to send the home supporters into a frenzy.
Juve fluff further chances
There were high hopes of the floodgates being prised open. Nicolas Gonzalez volleyed wide, Lloyd Kelly’s angled drive was saved, and Vlahovic twice fired wide to end the 45 minutes with just a two-cushion to show for Juve’s endeavors.
Locatelli’s shot from a Yildiz corner was curled over the gaping goalmouth just after the turnaround.
This jolted Lecce, who in a three-minute spell coming perilously close to reducing the arrears around the hour-mark through Danilo Veiga, Tete Morente, Balthazar Pierret and Federico Bashirotto.
Tudor’s troops had lost their first-half fight, largely pinned inside their own area. Vlahovic’s long-range shot easily saved their last foray forward until three much-needed changes were made on 67 minutes.
Vlahovic was replaced by Kolo Muani, Timothy Weah arrived for Koopmeiners, and Andrea Cambiaso took over from Weston McKennie.
Cambiaso close to glory
It almost turned into a dream appearance for Cambiaso, only for his long-range thunderbolt to end with a spectacular one-handed Falcone save.
With five minutes remaining, a rare Thuram error allowed Ante Rebic a chance to score. But Di Gregorio was quick off his line to pull off a glorious save.
Di Gregorio could do nothing to prevent Baschirotto’s header from finding the back of the net on 87 minutes and set up a nervous finale.
Lecce, seeking a precious point to help stave off the drop to Serie B, turned on the style in the dying stages with Thorir Helgason and Kialonda Gaspar coming close to grabbing an equaliser.
Tudor explained in the post-match press conference: “It was a great first-half performance, a good second half and a bit of a struggle in the closing stages. The result was fair.
“Vlahovic is at the centre of the project. He had a good match, in all aspects, he just lacked the goal.”