Palermo vs. Juventus: Winners and Losers from Serie A Game

Seeking their fourth consecutive domestic victory, Juventus travelled to the Renzo Barbera Stadium to take on Palermo on Sunday evening, eventually emerging with a comfortable 3-0 win over their Sicilian opponents.

Coach Massimiliano Allegri noted at his pre-match press conference that he expected the match with the Rosanero to be “extremely tough,” before going on to state the importance of maintaining their good form as they chase the Serie A leaders.

“We played a great match and obtained a fine result against a team full of world-class players,” Allegri told reporters, “but we know that we need to keep working hard in order to carry on in the right direction.”

They did just that, but made hard work throughout the clash against a determined Palermo side.

What follows is a look at the winners and losers from this encounter, highlighting the best and worst performances from both teams in a match that could prove crucial come the end of the campaign.

Winner: Mario Mandzukic (Juventus)

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Chosen ahead of Alvaro Morata in attack, Mario Mandzukic scored with his only shot of the game, heading home from Paulo Dybala’s pinpoint cross.

Having netted against both Manchester City and Empoli, the Croatian now has three goals in his last four outings for the Bianconeri to end a poor run of form.

Loser: Franco Vazquez (Palermo)

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While Paulo Dybala’s move to Juventus has seen him make a leap in quality, his former team-mate Franco Vazquez struggled to make a good impression here.

The 26-year-old took three shots, failing to hit the target with any of them, while statistics provided by WhoScored.com highlight just how badly he struggled in the game.

Their figures show he was dispossessed on six occasions and committed five fouls in a generally lacklustre performance.

Winner: Claudio Marchisio (Juventus)

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In a difficult match, Claudio Marchisio once again proved his value to Juventus in the centre of midfield.

The Turin native worked incredibly hard to close down opposition defenders, with statistics courtesy of WhoScored.com showing he recorded three interceptions and one tackle over a busy 90-minute display.

Also making two clearances, Marchisio was vital in helping the Bianconeri control the tempo of the game, completing 89.6 percent of his 67 pass attempts.

Loser: Stefano Sturaro (Juventus)

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Stefano Sturaro turned in an excellent display against Manchester City in midweek, but was unable to follow that up against Palermo.

Despite netting the second goal of the game, the former Genoa man looked off the pace throughout and committed a series of errors that repeatedly left his side exposed.

The Bianconeri will expect much better from Sturaro and others if they are to continue to climb the table, while considering themselves fortunate that his mistakes were not punished.

Winner: Juve’s Title Chase

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Following their difficult start to the campaign, Juventus have dragged themselves back into contention for the title, with AS Roma’s loss to Atalanta this weekend undoubtedly helping their cause.

“Our objective is to climb up the standings,” Simone Zaza told Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia) shortly after the final whistle. “We set the target to be in the top three in January and at the midway stage of the season. We want to continue winning.”

Going on to say that “the veterans in the squad made themselves heard during difficult moments,” Zaza offered valuable insight into how the Juventus fightback was ignited.