Juventus 1-0 Udinese: 6 Things We Learned

Juventus scraped a 1-0 victory against Udinese to extend their lead at the top of the league over Roma and potentially end the title race in Serie A.

The Bianconeri only lead the Giallorossi by three points, but the manner of the victory against the Zebrette showed exactly why they are back-to-back champions.

Not everything was working today for Antonio Conte's side, but the Old Lady never gave up and their persistence was rewarded by a 90th-minute winner by Fernando Llorente.

Here are six things that we learned.

Llorente Is Going Nowhere in January

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This is an obvious one now, but after rumours over the last couple of weeks linked Fernando Llorente with a move away in January (per Metro), that possibility has been effectively ended by the Spaniard's excellent performances in recent weeks.

Llorente was not spectacular against Udinese, but he is now finding his form and the back of the net on a regular occasion, almost always one or the other, making him indispensable right now.

It was a goal made from the former Athletic Club striker's instinct, as he flicked his head to divert the ball past a despairing Zeljko Brkic.

Conte will be delighted by the goals that have come Llorente's way—and especially by their importance—including goals against top opposition such as Napoli and Real Madrid.

With three goals in as many games, Llorente is now undroppable and will surely be looking forward to a successful career in black and white.

Antonio Di Natale Is Becoming Too Isolated

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This could be the end for Antonio Di Natale, as age is inevitably going to catch up with the great striker at some point.

Even if age does mean the end of the player who was able to spearhead Udinese's attack by himself, it does not mean that Di Natale cannot be a very effective striker if Francesco Guidolin tweaks the tactics somewhat.

At the moment, Toto is isolated and his speed has deserted him, meaning centre-backs are happy to get close and outmuscle him whenever the ball finds its way toward him.

Without significant support, Udinese's attack is blunt, making Di Natale obsolete.

Guidolin must find a way of getting bodies in and around Di Natale if Udinese are to continue being a side capable of pushing into the European places and the upper echelons of Italian football.

Buffon Is Still a Great Goalkeeper

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Gianluigi Buffon has endured a tough season, with criticism fired at him for a number of high-profile errors.

But this is just a phase, and Buffon proved his class once again against Udinese.

With the game tight due to a combination of Udinese's stubbornness and Juve's inability to find clear-cut chances, Buffon was called upon to keep the game in the balance.

With Di Natale finding space inside the penalty area and Buffon sprawled across the floor after punching clear a cross, the Udinese striker shot toward the bottom corner from point-blank range.

Buffon showed tremendous athleticism to bounce back up and claw away the almost certain goal, ensuring that Juve could go on to take one chance in order to gather all three points.

It is often these sort of games that are the most difficult for goalkeepers, with little to do and concentration waning, so Conte will be pleased to see that Buffon can still make a difference on the outcome of a game.

Juve Lack a Decision-Maker Without Pirlo

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Andrea Pirlo departed the game prematurely against Udinese, forcing Conte to throw Paul Pogba on in his place.

While the Frenchman is an adequate replacement in terms of quality, bringing additional skills that certainly enhance Juve's side, something was evidently missing when Pirlo exited.

Despite the many qualities that Pogba, Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal possess, none of them seem ready to replace Pirlo's decision-making quality.

Nobody appears ready to orchestrate the play, step up to seize responsibility and dictate the pace of the game.

Juve continued to dominate possession, but the moves continued to break down, with the Bianconeri often losing patience and players firing shots at goal without an anchor to recycle possession to, something that Pirlo takes care to avoid.

Conte might have been caught off-guard due to the injury, but moving forward, it needs to be made clear that somebody must inherit Pirlo's decision-making on the pitch.

Lichtsteiner's Return Gives Juve Greater Variety

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Stephan Lichtsteiner made his long-awaited return from injury against Udinese.

The Swiss international added some much-needed drive and penetration down the right side of the pitch.

This has been severely lacking in recent weeks, and his delivery is also an added bonus that should bring out another facet to the game of Fernando Llorente.

Without a consistent deliverer from crosses, Juve have been reluctant to toss the ball into the penalty area, even though Carlos Tevez is handy enough in the air to push Conte to encourage more of this in the side's game.

A returning Lichtsteiner means that the opposition will have an additional threat to consider in their tactics, with sides currently tending to leave the wide players unmarked, knowing that they will rarely be hurt by them.

With Lichtsteiner ever willing to stretch the opposition, the centre of the pitch should become less congested, with the Bianconeri able to spread the play more often.

Danilo Has Stepped Up Since Benatia's Departure

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Mehdi Benatia was a player that Udinese expected to sorely miss after the Moroccan departed Udine for Rome.

But since then, Danilo, a player who complemented Benatia in defence last season, has stepped up to begin leading not only the back line, but also the team in general.

The Brazilian commands the line superbly, often stepping up to catch the opposition offside.

But it is the Brazilian's communication skills that immediately impress, as he pushes his team-mates into areas of the pitch to better prepare the side to cope with the intense pressure from sides like Juventus.

Unfortunately for Udinese, with Danilo proving that he can lead a defence as well as complement one, there will be other suitors for his services in the future.

But for the moment, Udinese are every bit as defensively sound as they were last season, and Danilo's ever-growing leadership is a major reason for this.