Juventus vs. Roma: Winners and Losers from Serie a Game

You could use a lot of words to describe Juventus' weekend clash with title challengers Roma, but "boring" is not one of them. 

Two red cards, three penalties, five goals and seven yellows all made a mark on a game that will almost certainly be remembered as one of the most entertaining—and important—fixtures of the season in Italy. 

The home side eventually earned a 3-2 win thanks to a late strike from Leonardo Bonucci, but this game was as much about the fiery atmosphere and the confusing decisions of referee Gianluca Rocchi as it was about action in the box. 

Winner: Leonardo Bonucci

Leonardo Bonucci is an excellent defender, but all too often he is overshadowed by his Juventus teammates for club and country. Scoring the winner against Roma put the 27-year-old firmly in the spotlight.

Bonucci—born just north of Rome—was the Bianconeri's best defender against the Giallorossi and capped a fine display at the back with a timely exhibition of his technical skill to score the winner after 86 minutes. 

Loser: Lukasz Skorupski

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Lukasz Skorupski is considered a promising prospect, but the 23-year-old Pole didn't have the best of nights against Juve.

He also deputised for Morgan De Sanctis in the Manchester City game, where he performed reasonably well, but conceding three times in a crucial game will do little for the Gornik Zabrze product's confidence—especially because he read both penalties completely wrong and was far too late to react to Bonucci's winner. 

Winner: Massimiliano Allegri

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A lot of people were too quick to judge Massimiliano Allegri at Milan, but now that the 47-year-old Tuscan is at a more stable club, he's forcing his detractors to reassess their criticism. 

Allegri has hit the ground running in Turin and by beating Roma already landed what could be a crucial blow in the fight for this year's Scudetto.

Now he must recover from the loss to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and secure a victory away from home to Olympiakos to make sure that his European campaign doesn't suffer the same underwhelming fate as Antonio Conte's. 

Loser: Gianluca Rocchi

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Gianluca Rocchi is one of Italy's most controversial referees and will have won himself few fans after another questionable performance in Turin. 

The importance of the Juve-Roma clash meant that tempers were always going to be high, but the 41-year-old Rocchi completely lost control of the match in the first half, awarding three penalties—two of them debatable—and six yellow cards. 

Sending Rudi Garcia to the stands for dissent was another example of how he scrambled to assert himself in a game that for all its entertaining football was marked as much by the referee's personality as anything. 

Bonucci's goal was also questionable, because when he struck Arturo Vidal was offside and blocking the Roma goalkeeper's view. 

This game will be added to the long list of the Florentine referee's dubious games, which most recently included the 2012 clash between Manchester City and Real Madrid after which he was suspended by UEFA, so poor was his management of the game. 

Winner: Carlos Tevez

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Typically energetic and totally clinical with his penalties, Carlos Tevez made the difference against Roma.

The Argentine is in blistering form this season, scoring regularly but also working hard farther back in midfield and holding up the ball for his teammates in the final third.

Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal still get more plaudits, but the former Manchester City star just might be Allegri's most important player. 

Loser: Maicon

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Maicon has been brilliant for Roma since joining last season, but the usually mercurial Brazilian hasn't been enjoying the best of weeks.

The needless penalty he conceded against Juve thanks to a handball was the second in a week.

The 33-year-old gifted Sergio Aguero his penalty in the Giallorossi's Champions League clash with Premier League champions Manchester City and again inflicted a costly blow to his side's chances for victory in Turin.

Loser: Fernando Llorente

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Juve's victory will disguise the fact that only half of the Bianconeri's strike partnership was functioning properly. 

Fernando Llorente was as disappointing as Tevez was brilliant. The Spaniard made little impact in this important game and was outmuscled and outplayed by the Roma defence throughout.