Juventus reclaim Italian lead

Juventus remain Serie A’s only unbeaten team this season [GALLO/GETTY]

Juventus reclaimed Italy’s Serie A lead with a dominating 3-0 win over Palermo on Sunday, as previous leaders Udinese fell to a 2-0 defeat at Parma.

Simone Pepe put Juventus in front with a leaping header in the 20th minute, Alessandro Matri doubled the lead with a sharply angled shot in the 48th and Claudio Marchisio sealed the victory in the 65th.

Juventus midfielder Andrea Pirlo hit the post in the 31st as the 27-time champions from Turin remained unbeaten – with a game in hand.

Juventus and Lazio are level with 22 points each but Juventus hold the edge on goal difference ahead of the two clubs’ meeting next weekend – with head-to-head results the first tiebreaker in the Italian league.

AC Milan and Udinese are next with 21 points each.

Early strife

Results

Saturday November 19  Inter Milan 2-1 Cagliari  Fiorentina 0-0 AC Milan  Napoli 0-0 Lazio Sunday November 20  Bologna 0-1 Cesena  Catania 1-2 Chievo  Genoa 1-0 Novara  Juventus 3-0 Palermo  Parma 2-0 Udinese  Siena 2-2 Atalanta  Roma v Lecce

Udinese had allowed just four goals in their opening 10 matches but were quickly in trouble at Parma when Daniele Galloppa hit the post for the hosts eight minutes in.

Jonathan Biabiany then gave Parma the lead in the 58th after being left wide open inside the box for a header and the French forward also earned a penalty kick that Sebastian Giovinco converted in the 76th.

The closest Udinese came to scoring was a free kick from Antonio Di Natale that was tipped over the bar by Parma goalkeeper Antonio Mirante in the 73rd.

Lazio drew 0-0 at Napoli on Saturday and Milan had their five-match winning streak snapped with a scoreless draw at Fiorentina.

Elsewhere on Sunday, Genoa edged Novara with an 86th-minute strike from Miguel Veloso as both sides ended with 10 men.

Atalanta forward German Denis scored twice to move to the top of the scoring chart with his eighth and ninth goals of the season in a 2-2 draw at Siena, who got an 87th-minute equaliser from Alessandro Gazzi; and Chievo Verona won 2-1 at Catania with goals from Sergio Pellissier and Paolo Sammarco.

Earlier in the lunchtime fixture, last-place Cesena beat Bologna 1-0 in a regional derby for their first victory of the season, with Marco Parolo scoring the winner in the 84th with a spectacular shot into the top corner from 25 yards.