Frosinone vs. Juventus: Winners and Losers from Serie A

Juventus rolled into the Stadio Comunale Matusa for their game against Frosinone on the back of a team-record 13 straight victories in Serie A.

Playing simultaneously with Napoli, who began the day two points ahead of them in first, it was assumed that an easy win for Juve would help set up a massive top-of-the-table clash at the Juventus Stadium on Saturday for first place.

The win came, but it was a lot harder than anticipated. Frosinone denied Juve any room to operate, and it took 73 minutes for the Bianconeri to finally break the deadlock when Juan Cuadrado fired home a low Alex Sandro cross.

Paulo Dybala did what Juve couldn't do against Frosinone in September and sealed the win with a second goal late on after a smart assist from Alvaro Morata, but he and his teammates had to work considerably harder for their 2-0 victory than expected against the 19th-placed Canarini.

As attention now turns to Napoli, let's take a closer look at this match and determine winners and losers of this Serie A clash.

Winner: Nicola Leali

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Leali kept the minnows in the game and frustrated Juve in the box all day.

There has been some debate between Juventus fans as to whether or not Nicola Leali is the right man to replace Gianluigi Buffon when the legendary goalkeeper hangs up his gloves.

Purchased after he broke out with Brescia in 2012, Leali has been out on loan in the four years since. His first two years as Juve property he was farmed out to Serie B sides, and he made his Serie A debut with Cesena last year.

He's shown consistent improvement over that time. Last year, he showed his parent club his quality early on, making eight saves in defeat as the Seahorses lost 3-0 at the Juventus Stadium.

On Sunday, he again showed Juve that he has the quality to be Buffon's heir. He made a pair of crucial first-half saves to keep Juve out of the scoreboard before the break. A smart parry off a cannon shot from Stefano Sturaro came first, then he cleaned up after a defensive error by winning a one-on-one with Morata just before the whistle.

He also controlled his area well, claiming several good crosses and never letting Juve's attackers find good angles.

Obviously the busier keeper of the two, Leali could do nothing about either goal and kept his team in this game. He might have been the man of the match. The Bianconeri brass needs to keep him in mind as Buffon nears his self-appointed retirement date in 2018.

Loser: Paul Pogba

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Sunday was not one of Pogba's better games.

Ever since Claudio Marchisio and Sami Khedira returned to the Juve lineup, Paul Pogba has improved dramatically.

Guilty of trying to do too much when leadership of the midfield was thrust upon him due to injury, Pogba has been his usual magical self over the last few months. On Sunday, though, he seemed very much out of sorts.

With Frosinone playing a hardscrabble game meant to deny Juve any space on the ball, the Frenchman's usual flair was stifled. He misplayed simple passes and tried to dribble through walls of yellow shirts. When Dybala found him with a wonderful free-kick delivery in the 66th minute, he side-footed the ball well wide. Whatever he tried, nothing worked.

With a crunch first-versus-second matchup against Napoli looming on Saturday, this wasn't the best day for Pogba to regress. Juve will have to hope he picks back up in six days' time. They need their difference-maker against Napoli.

Winner: Alex Sandro

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Sandro's assist proved decisive.

Given the flurry of transfer activity involving Juventus this summer, the purchase of Alex Sandro has gone somewhat under the radar.

That's not something you'd expect given the fact that the player cost them €26 million. But with the arrival of Dybala and the departure of players like Arturo Vidal, Carlos Tevez and Andrea Pirlo, Sandro hasn't been as touted as you would think he would be. Given the fact that Patrice Evra has maintained last year's form and forced a time-share on the left, he also hasn't gotten as much exposure as someone who cost that much would normally command.

But with Evra dinged up, Sandro is the only guy to go to on the left, and he again delivered with the game on the line.

With 73 minutes on the clock and the game deadlocked, Sandro drove hard down the left wing and fired in a fantastic cross, which Cuadrado cleaned up on the far post for the game's first goal.

Defensively sound and a dynamic attacking presence going forward, Sandro is getting more and more credit, and deservedly so. Napoli's back line will have to be aware of where he is at all times next week.

Loser: Massimiliano Allegri

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A change of shape may be in order for Allegri's side.

It may be harsh to put Massimiliano Allegri in this category after a win, but this game was more labored than it should have been, and the manager may need to contemplate a change before the Napoli game.

Allegri has never shown himself to be totally well-versed in the 3-5-2 formation that Antonio Conte made famous in Turin. He has used it off and on since his hiring last July, but it was mostly a marriage of convenience. After such an abrupt coaching change so close to the season, it made sense to use what his players knew.

But Conte based his version of the 3-5-2 on precise movement and well-rehearsed routines. Allegri's more free-wheeling philosophy doesn't fit it as well, and the Bianconeri have struggled going forward at times when using it under their new manager.

This was one of those times. Juve looked devoid of creativity for long stretches of this game. They tried to dribble through walls and hoof long balls over the top rather than really develop their play. It wasn't until late, when they had finally broken through and had more space to drive through on the counter, that genuine chances started coming in bunches.

The 3-5-2 has served Juve well during their 14-game winning streak, but coming up on a game that could literally decide the destination of the Scudetto, Allegri, who now has the pieces to run the kind of 4-3-1-2 system he prefers, should consider a change.

Getting as predictable in attack as Juve did Sunday could be death against a well-coached Napoli side, and Allegri needs to take steps to ensure that that doesn't happen. A change of shape would better fit his coaching style and could well be a better match against a bigger team that will look to play football themselves rather than park the bus.

Winner: Roberto Pereyra

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Pereyra played his first game since pulling up in October.

Simply getting back on the field is a major victory for Roberto Pereyra, who has been out since October with a hamstring strain.

He didn't do much of particular note on the field on Sunday, but having him back gives Allegri a major option to add dynamism to his attack and perhaps even the ability to switch back to his favored 4-3-1-2 formation with Pereyra playing in the hole.

The 25-year-old's return is a welcome sight to a team that is suffering a minor depth crisis.