Palermo 0 : 2 Juventus - Juve hit the top with win

Posted Saturday, April 07, 2012 by PA

Juventus took advantage of AC Milan's 2-1 defeat at home to Fiorentina by beating Palermo 2-0 to return to the top of Serie A.

Leonardo Bonucci and Fabio Quagliarella were both on target for Antonio Conte's side in the second half of a one-sided game.

The win takes Juve one point clear of Milan in a two-horse race for the Scudetto which looks likely to go down to the wire.

The Bianconeri dominated at the Stadio Renzo Barbera but until the 56th minute to make it count.

Earlier, Quagliarella missed the first chance in the 13th minute when he poked the ball wide of the near post with his toe.

Two minutes later, a mix-up between Emiliano Viviano and Ezequiel Munoz let in Mirko Vucinic, who took the ball wide of the goal and did not have an angle for a shot on target and his cross found no takers.

In the 20th minute, Martin Caceres was put through on goal by an excellent lobbed pass from Vucinic, but despite an excellent first touch to bring the ball under control he then nudged the ball wide of the far post with only Viviano to beat.

The Bianconeri finally took the lead after 55 minutes after the home side had put together their first attacks of the game.

Andrea Pirlo's corner was flicked by the head of Bonucci at the near post and went in off the far post.

Quagliarella added the second in the 69th minute when he placed his left-footed shot into the far corner after Alessandro Matri just touched the ball to him right inside the penalty area.

Juve played down the clock without any worries as they returned to pole position with seven games of the season remaining.