Juventus win fifth successive Serie A title

Juventus, who have led the table since beating Napoli 1-0 in February, were left with an unassailable 12-point lead with three games each left to play as they clinched a record 32nd league title.

The match, played at a half-empty Stadio Olimpico on a sunny bank holiday afternoon, was an anti-climatic end to a season which had at one stage promised to be one of the most exciting Italian title races for years.

During the first half of the season, the lead had changed almost weekly with AS Roma, Napoli, Inter Milan and Fiorentina all taking turns at the top. 

But, as their rivals faltered, Juventus, who beat Fiorentina 2-1 on Sunday, put together an astonishing run in which they took 73 of a possible 75 points to snare the title with games to spare. “I always say that you can only get better by going through difficult times,” Tweeted Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri, whose team recovered from a slow start which left them 11 points off the pace at the end of October.

“I look at our journey and that makes me prouder.” 

His sentiments were echoed by veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who saved a penalty in the 2-1 win at Fiorentina on Sunday. 

“It’s a title of momentous importance, given that it’s the fifth in a row and follows an amazing turnaround,” said the 38-year-old, who has won seven Serie A titles since joining the club in 2001. “Certainly, at the beginning we were worried we would not do it, then at the end, with the strength of an amazing group and the backing of a responsible club, we pulled off this amazing achievement.”

The clash of Serie A’s two highest-scoring sides was threatening to peter out into a tame goalless draw until Nainggolan slotted the ball home in the 89th minute following a move started with a delicate pass from Roma substitute Francesco Totti.