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Juventus shrug off layoff, regain top spot

Comment: 0 November 21st, 2011 by: admin

EVEN a three-week layoff won’t prevent Juventus from marching back to the top of the Serie A.

Showing no signs of fatigue, Juve subdued Palermo 3-0 to reclaim the top spot on Sunday.

Their ascension was made clearer by the loss of previous leaders Udinese 0-2 at Parma.

A well-placed cross from Giorgio Chiellini was headed in by Simone Pepe in the 20^th minute to give Juve the ice breaker, with the later celebrating his goal by imitating a golf putt into the corner flag.

Andrea Pirlo appeared to score the second goal but he hit the post in the 31^st.  Teammate Alessandro Matri made it 2-nil after a sharply angled shot in the 48^th zoomed past Palermo goalkeeper Alexandros Tzorvas.

The third and final goal was netted by Claudio Marchisio in the 65^th after Matri faked his shot and left the former open for the brace.

Thus, the Bianconeri stayed unbeaten with a game in hand. They are now level with Lazio with 22 points but edged ahead on goal difference ahead of their collision this weekend.

Reigning titlists AC Milan and Udinese are behind the leaders with 21 points apiece.

Juventus have not seen action since hurdling Inter Milan 2-1 at San Siro last Oct. 29. They were supposed to battle Napoli last Nov. 6 but the match was called off to later this month due to the floods that hit the southern city, and the league was on a break for international games last weekend. Moreover, Juve failed to qualify to play in Europe this season.

Juventus coach Antonio Conte said he was elated they were able to get going again and at the same time get the three points after such a long pause.

Conte also praised goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who had two difficult saves against Josip Ilicic.

‘Buffon is back playing incredibly again,’ said Conte, who is in his initial year as Juve boss, having garnered five titles as a midfielder when he was still playing for the club.

In another match, Miralem Pjanic and Fernando Gago each tallied their first Serie A goals as Roma trimmed Lecce 2-1 to move into fifth spot, five points adrift.

On Saturday, Lazio drew 0-0 at Napoli, while Milan saw their five-match win run in the Serie A snapped following a scoreless stalemate at Fiorentina.

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