Juventus vs. AC Milan: Winners and Losers from Serie A Game

Juventus moved 10 points clear of second-place AS Roma, Saturday, thanks to a convincing, 3-1 victory at home to AC Milan.

Carlos Tevez opened the scoring in the 14th minute after a defensive breakdown by the Rossoneri, but in the 28th, Luca Antonelli restored level terms from a Milan corner-kick.

The even scoreline didn't last long, however, as Leonardo Bonucci put the Bianconeri back in front just after the half-hour mark, and midway through the second half, Alvaro Morata capped another standout performance with the final goal of the night.

Overall, there were a handful of performances that caught the eye at Juventus Stadium, as well as one or two that were rather less impressive.

Following are the individual winners and losers from the encounter.

Winner: Gianluigi Buffon, Who Came Up Big at a Vital Moment

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Early in the second half, with Juventus still ahead by only a goal, Gianluigi Buffon made a save that allowed his side to go on and seal the three points.

Having come on to replace the injured Jeremy Menez, Giampaolo Pazzini found himself in shooting space in the 54th minute after some good work down the left-hand side by Milan, but despite getting off a decent shot, he was denied by the diving Juventus goalkeeper.

"Gianluigi Buffon: 37 and still class," tweeted KickTV.

Loser: Gabriel Paletta, Who Struggled on His Milan Debut

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AC Milan acquired defender Gabriel Paletta from Parma on February 1, and on Saturday, the defender made his Rossoneri debut.

It wasn't one he'll remember fondly.

Inside the opening 15 minutes, both he and fellow centre-back partner Alex found themselves caught in a high pressing situation, and Carlos Tevez was allowed to scamper downfield and score.

The picture most viewers will remember of Paletta's match was that of him hopelessly chasing his fellow Argentine back toward his own goal.

Winner: Carlos Tevez, Who Scored Once and Assisted Another

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Carlos Tevez sprung AC Milan's offside trap at just the right moment before putting the ball in the back of the net in the 14th minute.

The goal was, as pointed out by OptaPaolo, the Argentine's fifth in the opening quarter-hour this season.

Then, in the 31st minute, Tevez was able to get enough of a flick to Andrea Pirlo's corner to set up Leonardo Bonucci's winner.

Winner: Alessio Cerci, Who Was a Rare Bright Spot for the Rossoneri

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It's not as though AC Milan didn't cause a problem in the attacking third on Saturday.

Alessio Cerci, for one, put in an industrious 90 minutes that included an assist on Luca Antonelli's equaliser in the 28th minute.

According to WhoScored, he also touched the ball 55 times and completed 83 percent of his passes, many of which were delivered in the high-risk area of the attacking third.

More than a few Milan players won't want to look in the mirror after their Saturday efforts, but Cerci isn't one of them.

Loser: Michael Essien, Who Has Declined Noticeably

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AC Milan were never going to beat Juventus with a midfield including the likes of Sulley Muntari and Michael Essien.

"Milan midfield breathing through their sleeves," tweeted ESPN commentator Janusz Michallik, who added that the Rossoneri couldn't have won on Saturday unless Juventus beat themselves.

Essien, for his part, was embarrassingly dispossessed by Paul Pogba in the buildup to Alvaro Morata's goal, and in the 34th minute, his foul on Paul Pogba revealed a player without the pace to impose himself at the highest level.

Winner: Alvaro Morata, Who Stood out Again for Juventus

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Alvaro Morata is keeping Fernando Llorente out of Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri's first XI, and his performance on Saturday was another example why.

In the 14th minute, he released Carlos Tevez with a sublime pass that put the Argentine through to score, and midway through the second half, he was in a good position to sweep the ball into the back of the net after Claudio Marchisio's shot came back off the upright.

"Allegri got it right starting Morata today," tweeted FourFourTwo's Adam Digby. "His pace and energy killing Milan."