Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci Key to Juventus' Serie A Win over Napoli

Saturday evening saw Napoli enter Juventus Stadium with seemingly everything at stake. Going into the match holding a slender advantage at the top of the table, the visitors knew that a positive result would see them fully in control of the title race with just 13 games remaining.

For most of the encounter it seemed they would share the points with the reigning champions, only for Simone Zaza to find the back of the net in the 88th minute, his shot taking a deflection off Raul Albiol along the way.

It was a decisive touch that lifted the effort over goalkeeper Pepe Reina, but it also saw the Bianconeri leapfrog their opponents and take a one-point lead over their rivals. It is the first time the Turin giants have been in first place during 2015/16, and their current form makes overhauling them now an even more daunting proposition.

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Gooool, Zaza https://t.co/zwBq3pm9CF

— Khaled Al Nouss (@KhaledAlNouss) February 13, 2016"

But while Zaza deserves much credit for his winning goal, Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri instead told reporters at his post-match press conference that events at the opposite end of the field were even more crucial:

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It was a very tight encounter between two teams that deservedly find themselves in first and second in the table. Napoli kept the ball very well in spells and would have scored themselves were it not for [Leonardo] Bonucci’s first-half interception. These kinds of games are often decided by one moment and that is actually what happened tonight.

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He was referring to the intervention shown in the clip below, the defender somehow managing to flick Elseid Hysaj’s cross away from Gonzalo Higuain with the score at 0-0, preventing an almost certain goal from European football’s most in-form striker.

With the Argentinian having struck 24 times already this season, shutting out Napoli is a remarkable achievement for the Bianconeri and marked their 13th clean sheet of the campaign. It was another outstanding performance from the back line, with Gigi Buffon singling out Andrea Barzagli for particular praise.

Massimo Pinca/Associated Press

“I’d be tempted to rip up his identity card,” the captain told reporters per the club’s official website. “Even if he’s 35 years of age, I’d never hesitate once about playing him in the most important match of the season so far.”

With Martin Caceres and Giorgio Chiellini ruled out through injury, Allegri opted for something resembling a four-man defence rather than the 3-5-2 framework that has served them well in recent weeks, and Barzagli undoubtedly held that together.

Indeed, as Bonucci hobbled off shortly after half-time, it was the former Palermo and Wolfsburg man who led the way, with the graphic in the tweet below highlighting the extent of his influential display.

It shows that Barzagli made three interceptions, six clearances and won the one aerial duel he contested, while completing 40 of his 47 pass attempts (85.1 percent). He also managed to not commit a single foul, a key statistic against Serie A’s most prolific attack.

It was the latest in a string of flawless displays from the veteran defender, who believes the collective mindset of the squad has been vital to their recent form. “At the end of the day, the most important thing beyond any records is that we have recaptured that ruthless mentality that has made this club what it is,” he told Sky Italia recently (h/t Juventus.com).

Adding that they “can’t afford to think about what we have achieved,” it is an approach that will be essential as the Bianconeri face tests against Inter and Bayern Munich before the end of the month.

Along with Buffon and Chiellini, Barzagli and Bonucci form the foundation on which their success has been built, and Juventus will hope that continues until the end of the campaign as they bid for a fifth-consecutive Serie A crown.