Edison Cavani and Fabio Simplicio doomed Juventus to their first defeat of the season as sensational Palermo won 2-0. It ends Ciro Ferrara's unbeaten record in all official games on the Bianconeri bench.

The Sicilians were desperate for points after managing just three draws since the opening weekend and Coach Walter Zenga was feeling the heat. Ferrara was fighting for the leadership of Serie A, but a recent run of results saw draws with Bologna and Bayern Munich.

Salvatore Sirigu was again given the nod in the Palermo goal, while Simon Kjaer recovered to start, but Giovanni Tedesco and Fabio Liverani remained on the treatment table. Walter Zenga switched to a 3-4-1-2 system with Giulio Migliaccio in defence. Juve's muscular injuries are piling up once more as Alessandro Del Piero, Fabio Cannavaro, Tiago Mendes, Claudio Marchisio, Hasan Salihamidzic and Momo Sissoko were all sidelined.

Fabrizio Miccoli tested former teammate Gigi Buffon from just inside the area early on as Palermo got off to a very aggressive start. Sirigu bravely dribbled himself out of trouble under pressure from Amauri, but at the other end Edison Cavani pounced on a poor backpass and Buffon had to clear the danger.

Cavani wasted a golden opportunity on 15 minutes, as Miccoli chipped up a pass to the back post for the Uruguayan to nod well wide.

Giorgio Chiellini charged down Mattia Cassani's snapshot after more good work from Miccoli, then Chiellini acrobatically wrapped his leg around Cavani to stop him scoring from seven yards.

Amauri nodded a Diego free kick over and the former Werder Bremen man had another effort charged down. Sirigu dropped a cross for Mauro Camoranesi, forcing Simon Kjaer into a goalline clearance, but play had already stopped for Vincenzo Iaquinta's push.

Buffon had his palms stung at the base of the near post by Cavani's counter and Mark Bresciano blasted over from the resulting corner.

Palermo were pushing and took a deserved lead after 37 minutes at the Barbera. It was another counter sparked by dispossessing Felipe Melo in midfield, as Javier Pastore spread to the right for Cavani to smash a powerful finish under the bar.

The Rosanero swarmed all over the Juve defence, forcing Chiellini and Nicola Legrottaglie into acrobatic interventions on Miccoli and Cassani. They then swarmed round the referee when Camoranesi ran the very real risk of a second yellow card. From that free kick 25 metres out, Miccoli whipped it at pace into the six-yard box and Fabio Simplicio sprung the offside trap to get the final touch.

Felipe Melo's angled drive got trapped in a sea of legs and as the move continued Chiellini's fresh-air shot saw another chance go begging. On a Juve corner the counter-attack burst forward and Christian Poulsen had to intercept the pass for an unmarked Cavani.

Straight after the restart Amauri spun round in the D to fire just over the bar, while Poulsen also flashed a shot wide. Giulio Migliaccio flung himself at Iaquinta to block the attempt from close range, but Juve's pressure left space for the counter and Bresciano's towering header shaved a coat of paint off the far post.

The Bianconeri got away with a classic counter because Cavani's ball across for Pastore was a little too long when two against one. Moments later Miccoli shrugged off Chiellini to bring a desperate save out of Buffon at the near post, the goalkeeper standing tall until the last second.

Juventus could not have gone closer than on 62 minutes. Diego curled a wonderful free kick from the D that dipped on to the crossbar! It was his last contribution, as the Brazilian made way for Paolo De Ceglie and a 4-4-2 system.

Pastore thought he'd scored a third when he broke away from the centre-circle and went round Buffon, but Miccoli was offside when he tried to intervene and therefore got his teammate flagged.

David Trezeguet replaced Camoranesi, but once again Buffon had to beat away a Bresciano screamer and Cavani flashed across the face of goal with yet another counter.

Miccoli smacked a powerful strike against the near post with Buffon well beaten. Miccoli had another deflected out for a corner off Fabio Grosso, but from that set play Juventus had a rare counter that Iaquinta ballooned over.

De Ceglie's cross-shot whizzed past the far top corner.