Sunday’s Serie A afternoon round-up

Serie A leaders Juventus defeated Chievo as second-placed AC Milan overcame Palermo, while Empoli picked up an important three points in their win over Pescara.

Mario Mandzukic had put Juventus into a 53rd minute lead at the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi before a Sergio Pellissier penalty on 66 minutes levelled up the score for Chievo.

But Miralem Pjanic popped up with a winner on 75 minutes to ensure the defending champions kept a five-point gap between them (30) and Milan (25).

Chievo, meanwhile, dropped into 11th place, on 15 points.

Milan needed an 82nd Gianluca Lapadula goal to overcome second-from-bottom Palermo after Ilija Nestorovski had cancelled out Suso's 15th-minute goal with 71 minutes played.

Empoli moved up to 17th on 10 points, following their 4-0 hammering of Pescara, who dropped into 18th spot.

Massimo Maccarone (12, 44) netted a brace, with Manuel Pucciarelli (23) and Riccardo Saponara (89) also both on target.

Atalanta edged into fifth place with their 3-0 defeat of struggling Sassuolo at the Stadio Citta del Tricolore, where Alejandro Gomez opened the scoring on 19 minutes, ahead of a 24th-minute goal from Mattia Caldara, and Andrea Conti's 43rd-minute strike.

The result saw Sassuolo drop to 16 on 13 points, nine adrift of their opponents this weekend.

Elsewhere, Genoa and Udinese played out a 1-1 draw where Lucas Ocampos (24) cancelled out Cyril Thereau's (24) opening goal.

Genoa ended the weekend in ninth on 16 points, with Udinese remaining in 12th spot on 15 points

Sunday afternoon's Serie A results in full:

Pescara 0-4 Empoli

Chievo 1-2 Juventus

Genoa 1-1 Udinese

Palermo 1-2 AC Milan

Sassuolo 0-3 Atalanta