Massimo Pinca/Associated Press

Juventus took a major step towards their fourth consecutive league title on Saturday, led once again by the easily recognisable stars who have been responsible for so much of the success the club has enjoyed in recent years. There were superb saves from Gigi Buffon, an impressive midfield performance from Arturo Vidal, and of course the obligatory goal from Carlos Tevez.

The striker netted his 26th goal of the campaign, continuing his excellent season which was analysed is detail in this previous column. Leonardo Bonucci added a well-taken second goal to seal all three points against an impressive Lazio side, extending Juve’s lead at the top of the Serie A standings to 15 points ahead of Sunday’s games.

Claudio Marchisio and Patrice Evra also turned in impressive displays, but another man who shone was Simone Padoin, a player rarely given credit for his contribution to the cause. The 31-year-old arrived in Turin in January 2012 to very little fanfare, and has continued to operate below the radar ever since that € 5 million transfer from Atalanta.

Never a regular in the first-choice XI under either Antonio Conte or Max Allegri, Padoin has become increasingly versatile over his three-year stint with the Bianconeri, filling a variety of roles and almost always turning in a resolute display.

Having previously played almost exclusively in midfield, he has learnt to play as both a wing-back in the 3-5-2 formation, or indeed as an orthodox full-back when Allegri deploys a four-man defence. He has featured on both flanks, seemingly favouring neither and diligently sticking to whatever task he has been handed.

Massimo Pinca/Associated Press

There have of course been occasions where his lack of natural flair for a role in defence has been punished, with perhaps Mohamed Salah’s Coppa Italia goal for Fiorentina the most obvious example. Stationed on the halfway line at a Juventus corner, Padoin attempted to match pace with the Egyptian, where a player more familiar with the role would likely have committed an early tactical foul at the expense of a yellow card.

Yet Padoin would have the last laugh—as he so often has since joining Italian football’s grand Old Lady—playing 90 minutes against the same player in the second leg of that semi-final and denying him any similar opportunities. When the final whistle blew it was he, not Salah, who celebrated, the former Italy Under-21 international playing a significant but unheralded role in yet another Bianconeri victory.

He has featured in 22 matches this term, with all but 10 of those coming as a substitute, Allegri sending him on to shore up the defence and ensuring the introduction of Padoin becomes synonymous with the game being over. Statistically he makes a minimal impact, with figures from WhoScored.com showing he has averaged 1.1 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and 22.5 passes per game this term, but he has often been on the field in the club’s biggest games.

Squawka.com

With injuries robbing Allegri of Kwadwo Asamoah, Martin Caceres and Romulo, resting Stephan Lichtsteiner and Patrice Evra has been increasingly difficult. The coach knows he can count on Padoin to cover for his regular stars and has played him much more in recent weeks as a result. His performance against Empoli recently—when he featured as a defensive midfielder—drew praise from the coach, singling out his performance in a post-game interview with Sky Italia (h/t Football Italia):

Padoin is proving himself to be a great professional. As well as being able to play in many different roles, he also has the characteristics to become a Coach! He’s tactically intelligent and it’s tough to play in front of the defence. He brings balance to the side and anywhere you put him, he does the job.

That is ultimately the simple truth when discussing the 31-year-old: Simone Padoin does the job, and he does it very well.