With a victory against Genoa next Sunday, second place AS Roma will eclipse their highest-ever point total in Serie A with 87. However, Juventus’ 3-0 victory over Crotone today gave them 88 points on the season heading into the final match day, confirming them as Serie A champions for the sixth straight season. They’re simply untouchable in Italy.
Watch out @OfficialAllegri, @Cuadrado is about #SerieA #JuveCrotone pic.twitter.com/UiYibZ2iUd
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) May 21, 2017
All focus for the Turin giants now turns to the June 3 Champions League final against Real Madrid in Cardiff. After defeating Lazio in the Coppa Italia final, Juventus are on the verge of their first-ever treble, a feat that only Inter Milan have managed among Italian clubs.
While the team and its supporters will be delighted with what they’ve achieved this season, especially in the face of consistent pressure from both Roma and Napoli in the league, the outlay on the likes of Gonzalo Higuain, Miralem Pjanic and Juan Cuadrado (as well as the influential free signing of Dani Alves) means that the result against Real Madrid will weigh heavily on the season’s final determination.
In league play, Higuain contributed 24 goals in 36 appearances in his debut season at the club, and Pjanic has been everything Juve expected after purchasing him for a large fee from Roma.
The maturation of 23-year-old Paulo Dybala continued as the rising Argentine star scored 10 goals and registered seven assists. He scored the second in Juve’s victory today, effectively clinching the 2016-17 Scudetto.
Dybala just doing Dybala things...
— The Sportsman (@TheSportsman) May 21, 2017
The defense of Gianluigi Buffon, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli, complimented by the wing back play of Alex Sandro and Alves, has seen the club surrender only 26 goals through 37 games. Add the quality of Sami Khedira and Claudio Marchisio in midfield, along with the hugely underrated Mario Mandzukic further forward, and it's obvious how perfectly pieced together this side is.
What I’m trying to say is that June 3 is going to be one hell of a Champions League final.