Football: Juve storm back to top of table

Juventus went back to the top of Serie A after a 3-0 win over Palermo on Sunday which took them ahead of Lazio on goal difference.The Old Lady of Turin also have a game in hand on most of their rivals and remain the only unbeaten team in the league.Simone Pepe, Alessandro Matri and Claudio Marchisio scored the goals to down the Sicilians, who are yet to score away from home this season.Despite their lofty standing, coach Antonio Conte said he will only know if his side is capable of challenging for the title once they have reached the halfway point in the season, after another nine match.Juve dominated against Palermo throughout the match and could have won more comfortably.Giorgio Chiellini was the architect on 20 minutes as the hosts went in front, crossing from the left for an inexplicably unmarked Pepe to head home.Andrea Pirlo was a lick of paint away from doubling the advantage with a shot from 20 yards that curled around goalkeeper Alexandros Tzorvas but hit the inside of the post only to rebound to safety.Josip Ilicic wasted a great chance to equalise when Fabrizio Miccoli put him through one-on-one with goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon but the Slovenia playmaker failed to connect with the ball and the opportunity went begging.The killer second came three minutes after the break as Stephan Lichsteiners slide-rule pass put Matri in behind the backline and he finished from a tight angle.Marchisio finished off a well-worked third on 65 minutes from close range as Matris dummy from Mirko Vucinics cross fooled the Palermo defence.Udinese fell off the top and are now a point behind Juve in fourth as they lost 2-0 at Parma.Jonathan Biabiany was left alone and unmarked to head home a corner from eight yards before he won a penalty when Dusan Basta brought him down.Sebastian Giovinco netted from the spot for his seventh in the league this season.Udinese coach Francesco Guidolin accused his players of getting above their station.Marco Parolo scored seven minutes from time to give rock-bottom Cesena their first victory of the season in a 1-0 success at fellow strugglers Bologna.