Juan Cuadrado has scored directly from a corner as Juventus comfortably beat strugglers Genoa 2-0 and secure coach Massimiliano Allegri's 250th Serie A victory.
Cuadrado struck a high, inswinging delivery into the far top corner after eight minutes to put the Old Lady in front in unorthodox circumstances, and Paulo Dybala wrapped up the three points with a late strike.
It was the eighth direct corner goal to be scored in Italy's top flight since 2010, but bizarrely the second of the weekend after Hakan Calhanoglu's effort for Inter Milan in a 3-0 win at Roma on Saturday.
"He told us that he meant to cross it," Dybala told DAZN.
"We dominated the whole game, the defenders did well to push us forward.
"We were obviously calmer after Cuadrado's goal, but we should have finished it off sooner."
Despite winning four of their past five league matches, fifth-placed Juve are still seven points adrift of fourth-placed Atalanta, while Genoa remain 18th and two points from safety.
Allegri became just the second manager in the three-points-for-a-win era to reach 250 league victories - Carlo Ancelotti has 275 - with 150 of them coming while in charge of Juve.
Cuadrado's spectacular effort from the corner flag opened the scoring and from then on Shevchenko's side had goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu to thank for keeping the score down.
The only real angst for Juve came when Alvaro Morata got in a heated argument with Allegri on the touchline when he was replaced in the 73rd minute.
"I had not decided to replace him but he got booked and I preferred to take him off," Allegri said.
"It was nothing and I am sorry, because Alvaro played a great game, even without scoring."
Any Juve nerves were calmed when Dybala sweetly struck a finish into the bottom corner with eight minutes remaining.
Meanwhile, Ciro Immobile scored twice as Lazio moved to eighth with a comfortable 3-1 win at Sampdoria, despite playing the final quarter of the match with 10 men.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic scored the opener for the visitors but was sent off in the 67th minute for two yellow cards in a matter of moments - the first for a foul and the second for dissent.
Mid-table Hellas Verona sensationally fought back from being three goals down inside the first 28 minutes to defeat 10-man Venezia 4-3.
The game turned when Venezia defender Pietro Ceccaroni - who had scored the opener - was sent off for a desperate goalline clearance using his arm with the score at 3-1.
Gianluca Caprari converted the 65th-minute penalty to reduce the deficit further before Giovanni Simeone levelled the score and then netted the winner five minutes from time with a screamer from 20 yards into the top corner.
Sassuolo battled back from a two-goal deficit to grab a 2-2 at Spezia.
with AP
Australian Associated Press
