Juventus clinch sixth successive Serie A title

TURIN, Italy: First-half goals from Mario Mandzukic and Paulo Dybala, and a late header from Alex Sandro sealed a 3-0 win over Crotone to hand Juventus a record sixth consecutive Serie A title Sunday.

Massimiliano Allegri’s men took a one-point lead over Roma into their penultimate game of the league campaign and needed a win to secure the title.

Mandzukic gave the hosts a 12th-minute lead when he met Juan Cuadrado’s cross at the back post to fire past Alex Cordaz in the visitors’ net.

Croatia international Mandzukic, celebrating his 31st birthday, almost gave Juve a 2-0 lead before Fabio Sampirisi toe-poked the ball away from the big forward as he teed up.

But the fans who packed out Juve’s stadium for their final home game of the campaign were not to be denied.

Dybala doubled the Turin giants’ lead with a sumptuous free kick that curled into the top corner to leave Cordaz with no chance six minutes before half-time.

Looking for a win to boost their top-flight survival hopes, Crotone came close to reducing arrears on the stroke of half time when Diego Falcinelli’s effort deflected off Mehdi Benatia’s back to leave ‘keeper Gianluigi Buffon stranded, the ball skimming the far top corner.

But the Calabrians were never likely to deny Juventus the well-deserved title celebrations, that had been put on hold last week when Roma stunned Allegri’s men 3-1 at the Stadio Olimpico.

Juve bounced back from their defeat in the capital three days later with a 2-0 Cup final victory over Lazio.

And their third consecutive league and Cup double, also a record, was all but sealed seven minutes before full time when Cordaz palmed Sandro’s bullet header in off the underside of the crossbar, goal-line technology confirming it had crossed the line.

Juventus will now turn their focus to winning an unprecedented club treble when they face 11-time champions Real Madrid in the Champions League June 3 final in Cardiff. 

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.

Juve’s win over their relegation-threatened opponents, took them on to 88 points from 37 games, four 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.

“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 as they made a late bid to escape the drop but were facing a Juventus side who have dropped only two points at home all season.

Milan had to wait until the last half hour for their goals against Bologna.

Gerard Deulofeu volleyed in from Matias Fernandez’s pass, Keisuke Honda curled in a free kick and Gianluca Lapadula completed the scoring in stoppage time.

Genoa, who have had a dreadful second half of the season, made sure of survival when they beat Torino 2-1 with goals from Luca Rigoni and Giovanni Simeone, the son of Atletico Madrid coach Diego.