Udinese had nine players out of action with Covid-19 infections and struggled to lay a glove on an underwhelming Juve team which was missing central defensive pair Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci.

They sit 14th, four points above the relegation zone alongside Sampdoria, who lost 2-1 to Torino in Saturday’s early match.

Italy forward Immobile netted twice in the first 10 minutes at Salernitana to give Lazio a lead that they never looked like relinquishing and take his league tally to 17, one more than Fiorentina’s rising star Dusan Vlahovic, in 18 appearances.

After scoring his 140th league goal with Lazio, where he has played since 2016, Immobile hit back at criticism of his performances for the national team, where he has been much less prolific in front of goal.

“I’m a European champion, and my stats speak for themselves, I don’t need to respond to that stuff on TV or on social media,” said Immobile, who has scored 15 times in 54 caps for Italy.

“I scored twice at the Euro, scored 140 goals in Serie A with Lazio, I’ve won the European Golden Shoe… these are things that speak for themselves, I don’t need to say anything.”

Manuel Lazzari scored the other goal in a win which moved Lazio into sixth place, six points off the Champions League positions having played two games more than Atalanta.

Salernitana, who announced three new Covid-19 cases shortly before kick-off, stay in last place after their 15th defeat of their first season in Serie A in over two decades.

They are six points away from 17th-placed Venezia after losing to a team owned by Claudio Lotito, whose ownership also of Salernitana almost led to the promoted club being booted out of Serie A until they were saved at the last minute by new owner Danilo Iervolino.