Juventus became the first team to win Serie A six times in a row when they beat Crotone 3-0 on Sunday. The victory wrapped up the Italian league title with one game to spare.Mario Mandzukic, Paulo Dybala and Alex Sandro shared the goals as the Turin side also won a league and cup double for the third time in a row and stayed on course for a treble.
The win over their relegation-threatened opponents, put Juventus four points clear of AS Roma who won 5-3 at Chievo on Saturday. Napoli are a further point behind in third, the Champions League playoff spot.
Juventus, who are Italy’s most successful side in domestic terms with 33 league titles, will face Real Madrid in the Champions League final on June 3 when they will attempt to complete the treble.
“The sixth consecutive title is something extremely significant,” said Juve’s 39-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who has won eight Serie A titles at the club.“We have written indelible pages in the history of football.”
Crotone had won five and drawn two of their last seven games but were only able to resist for 12 minutes until Mandzukic got in front of his marker to turn in Juan Cuadrado’s low cross at the far post.
Stunning free kick
Dybala curled in a stunning 25-metre free kick six minutes before halftime and Alex Sandro completed the scoring in the 83rd minute with a shot which hit the underside of the crossbar, bounced down and crossed the goal line by centimetres.
Atalanta clinched fifth place and a spot in the Europa League group stage by winning 1-0 at Empoli and AC Milan made sure of sixth place, and a place in the Europa League qualifiers, by beating Bologna 3-0.
Pescara and Palermo are already down and Crotone, who host Lazio on the final matchday next Sunday, are a point behind Empoli in 18th, the final relegation berth.
idr/rd (Reuters)
