Juve bounce back from Champions League setback, defeat Palermo

Juve bounce back from Champions League setback, defeat Palermo

Published Oct. 26, 2014 12:44 p.m. ET

Chasing a fourth successive Scudetto, Juventus remain unbeaten through eight games, of which they have won seven.

Yet this 2-0 victory was a key result, with Carlos Tevez teeing up Vidal for the 32nd-minute opener and Llorente heading the second in the second half.

A 1-0 defeat at Olympiacos in the Champions League on Wednesday has left Juventus third in Group A, behind Atletico Madrid and the Greek outfit. Juventus also dropped their first points of the Serie A season in a 1-1 draw at Sassuolo last weekend.

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Had lowly Palermo taken anything from their trip to Turin, it would have still been a major surprise, but a hint of vulnerability in the Juventus ranks would have given them hope.

Juventus rested Paul Pogba, fresh from handing the midfielder a long-term contract, and threatened an early lead when Llorente saw a header deflected away for a corner. The home side's supremacy was rewarded by the opening goal.

Tevez took up possession 45 yards from goal, towards the right, and took a direct route to the heart of the Palermo defence. With a challenge about to come in on the edge of the penalty area, the Argentinian wisely laid a pass off to Vidal, charging in off the far flank, and he sent a low left-footed strike into the bottom right corner.

Stefano Sorrentino had kept Juventus at bay until then but Vidal's finish was too good. The Palermo goalkeeper was beaten for a second time after 64 minutes when Andrea Pirlo's corner from the right found Llorente eight yards out and shy of the near post, and his downward header across goal took one bounce before nestling in the far corner.

Tevez, Pogba - on for Pirlo - and Llorente each threatened to add a third Juventus goal, before Sebastian Giovinco rattled the Palermo goal frame in the closing stages.

Elsewhere, Genoa came back against 10-man Chievo Verona to ruin coach Rolando Maran's debut, and Udinese beat Atalanta 2-0.

Later, it's: Cesena vs. Inter Milan; Lazio vs. Torino; Napoli vs. Verona; and ACMilan vs. Fiorentina.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.  

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