Ranking Juventus' Top 5 Players for April

April was a good month for Juventus.  The Bianconeri won all five of their games, extending their unbeaten streak to 26 matches, 25 of which have been victories.

And they clinched their fifth Serie A title in a row at the end of the month after Napoli's 2-0 loss to AS Roma last Monday saw them fail to keep pace with Juve's 2-1 triumph over Fiorentina the previous day.

In a run that has included both an unbeaten season and a record 102-point campaign, this may have been the most remarkable of all.  

After 10 games, Massimiliano Allegri's team was in 12th place, having garnered only 10 points and lost more games as they had all last year.  But a last-second win against Tornio in the Derby della Mole triggered the run, and Juve romped to the most improbable of Scudetti.

The Bianconeri ran the gamut this month from gutty, ground-out wins to dominant thrashings.  Who contributed the most to those wins?  Who were the players of the month as Juve closed in on the title?  Read on to find out.

5. Sami Khedira

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Khedira has been a force in midfield.

Sami Khedira missed the first two matches of the month due to suspension, but he impacted the three games he did play in tremendously.

He marked his return to the lineup with a well-taken goal to open the scoring against Palermo, and he assisted Paulo Dybala's second goal against Lazio three days later.  According to WhoScored.com, he completed 90 percent of his passes in that match and added two key passes to his assist.

Khedira's presence in the midfield has been massive this season.  In his absence, Juve has struggled to find balance in midfield, and some of the other midfielders have tried to do too much.  

The impact the Germany international has on the Bianconeri is immense, and his performances this month were a great help toward achieving their goal.

4. Alvaro Morata

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Morata strokes home the goal that eventually clinched Juve's fifth straight title.

Alvaro Morata's season has had ups and downs this year, but April was definitely an up.

The Spain international played four games in April, and his numbers were impressive.  He recorded three assists during the month, supplying Mario Mandzukic with the equalizing goal against AC Milan and two more helpers as a second-half sub to complete Juve's 4-0 rout of Palermo.

But more important than that was his Johnny-on-the-spot goal off a rebound in the dying moments against Fiorentina on April 24.  With the game tied 1-1, Mandzukic centered a corner kick that was hit beyond the far post.  Patrice Evra's effort was blocked, but just as he was in the UEFA Champions League final a year ago, Morata was in the right place at the right time to poke the rebound home.

The strike proved decisive, both in the game and, after the final whistle in the Napoli-Roma game the next day, in the season.  It was the goal that sealed the Scudetto, and put the cap on an excellent month for the young Spaniard.

Morata's future is in doubt.  Real Madrid has a buyback option on the 23-year-old that can be activated this summer.  But if he keeps turning in months like this, Juve will hope they can ensure he remains in Turin.

3. Mario Mandzukic

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Mandzukic scored four times in five games.

Like Morata, Mario Mandzukic has had some barren periods this season.  After scoring six times in all competitions in the two months before the winter break, the Croatian went fallow after the calendar turned.

He had notched four assists since play resumed, but going into April he hadn't scored.  That changed in a hurry.

Mandzukic scored his first club goal of 2016 on the stroke of halftime on April 3 against Empoli.  The well-taken header was the only strike of the game.  For the forward, the floodgates opened.

He then combined with Morata to tie the score against Milan, poked a ball home to open the scoring against Lazio and lashed home a headed pass from Paul Pogba to take the lead against Fiorentina.

Through all his scoring exploits, he has continued to show the work rate and defensive contribution that has been so vital to the team this year.

Mandzukic's surge coincided with one of the team's best months.  Simply put, the Croatian took Juve's attack on his shoulders in April.

2. Paul Pogba

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Pogba has been enjoying one of the best stretches of his career.

Paul Pogba may finally be realizing his true, incredible talents.

The 23-year-old Frenchman is on a fantastic run.  Starting with the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 on March 16, Pogba has recorded either a goal or an assist in every game he's played—a span of eight matches, including all five games in April.

His full April tally was two goals and four assists.  Both of his goals came off corner kicks.  The first was a shot he bounced off the ground and over the head of Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to give Juve the lead at the San Siro.  The second was a neat tap-in on the back post that opened the floodgates and saw Juve score three times in less than 20 minutes.

Beyond his counting stats, Pogba was simply everywhere in every match.  He took control of the midfield in every game, even more so after Claudio Marchisio was lost for the year to an ACL tear against Palermo.

The fact that he has taken command of the team so definitively is a stark contrast to early in the year, when Marchisio was absent due to a muscle injury.  Back then Pogba looked overwhelmed.  He tried to do far too much with every touch, and his play suffered.

Now he looks ready to take total command of the team and prove himself worthy of the No. 10 shirt he took over this year.  

In most scenarios, Pogba would be at the top of this list, but there is one other person on the roster that tends to defy most scenarios...

1. Gianluigi Buffon

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Buffon denies Federico Bernardesci after saving Nikola Kalinic's penalty.

Gianluigi Buffon is immortal.

Juve's defense is so good he's not often called into action, but when he is, he's always ready.  According to Squawka.com, he's averaged three saves per game in April.  He only conceded two goals in five games, once on a corner kick and once when Leonardo Bonucci was dispossessed when got too fancy on the ball and stranded him one-on-one with Nikola Kalinic.

His successes, though, have rung quite a bit louder than his failures.

Against AC Milan, he made several impressive saves, including a 13th-minute parry of a vicious Mario Balotelli free kick.  Against Fiorentina, he parried another early strike from Josip Ilicic and on a deflected effort from Kalinic eight minutes later.

Of course, the highlight of the day came at the end of the match.  After Kalinic earned a dodgy penalty just before stoppage time, he stepped up to the spot looking to knot the score at 2-2.  But Buffon parried the shot and then buried Federico Bernardesci's follow-up attempt.  The effort saved the game and effectively wrapped up the title.

His play in April earned him MVP of the Month honors on Juve's official web site, an accolade that is well deserved.

Still at the top of his game at 38, Buffon is the unquestioned leader of this team.  It was his reaction to the team's October loss to Sassuolo that started this run, and the success of this team—both in the last month and the last year—has its source in him.