Runaway Serie A leaders Juventus beat ACF Fiorentina 3-2 on Wednesday, but their title celebrations were delayed by SS Lazio’s 4-0 victory over a Parma side who are now certain to be relegated.
Fiorentina took the lead through a Gonzalo Rodriguez penalty, but goals from Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tevez turned the match around, before Gonzalo missed a second penalty.
Tevez, the league’s leading scorer, sealed the result with his 20th Serie A goal of the season, before Josip Ilicic netted a late consolation goal.
Photo: Reuters
Juventus remained 14 points clear of Lazio and would clinch a fourth successive title if they draw at UC Sampdoria tomorrow, as they hold the tiebreaker courtesy of a better head-to-head record with Lazio.
The Serie A giants are also in the hunt for a treble as they face Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals next week and Lazio in the Coppa Italia final.
“At this point it would be a miracle if we didn’t win the title,” said Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri, who is in his first season in charge of the club. “We’ll try to get the point we need in Genoa even if we have lost our past two away games, and then we will focus on the Champions League and the Coppa Italia. Today, I’m happy with how the match went and with the lads, who are having an extraordinary year. Today’s match is important because it allows us to stay calm in the rest of the matches — when you still need a tiny piece to win there is always something, not anxiety, but the desire to reach your goal.”
AS Roma won 3-0 at US Sassuolo to stay third, but they are now mathematically out of the title race.
Parma, who were deducted seven points for financial irregularities, were relegated after Atalanta BC drew 2-2 at AC Cesena.
Lying 17th in the table, just above the relegation zone, Atalanta are 16 points ahead of Parma with five matches left to play.
AC Cesena moved level with Cagliari, who lost 1-0 at AC Chievo Verona and had two players sent off. The two teams are eight points behind Atalanta.
Elswhere, AC Milan were jeered off the pitch after losing 3-1 at home to Genoa, in a match which saw Milan’s Jeremy Menez sent off for two bookings.
UC Sampdoria also had a player sent off in a 1-1 draw against Hellas Verona, while US Citta di Palermo and Torino drew 2-2.
Fiorentina were the only side to have won at Juventus Stadium since Bayern Munich more than two years ago, having beaten Juventus 2-1 in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-finals in March.
They had high hopes of doing so again when Andrea Pirlo tripped Joaquin shortly after the half hour and Gonzalo blasted the penalty into the top-right corner. Fiorentina had missed all four of their previous spot-kicks this season.
However, Juventus leveled almost immediately when they were awarded a dubious free-kick and Llorente headed in Pirlo’s cross.
Tevez put Juve in front on the stroke of halftime with a looping header following Patrice Evra’s chipped pass.
Fiorentina had a chance to level after Joaquin was tripped for another penalty, this time by Giorgio Chiellini, but Gonzalo blasted the spot-kick wide and Juve extended their lead minutes later, when Tevez ran from the center circle onto a great long-ball from Claudio Marchisio, before firing into the bottom-left corner.
Ilicic pulled a goal back in stoppage-time with a wonderful free-kick into the top-left corner.
In Rome, Lazio went into the match knowing that anything but a win would likely hand Juventus the title and three goals in six first-half minutes put the capital side firmly in control.
Former Parma midfielder Marco Parolo opened the scoring with a fantastic long-range strike in the 10th minute.
Miroslav Klose bundled over from close range minutes later after Stefan Radu’s effort from a Felipe Anderson cross was parried and Antonio Candreva sprung the offside trap to score the third shortly afterwards.
Keita Balde Diao completed the scoring nine minutes from time.
In the race for the final UEFA Champions League spots, Roma moved provisionally five points clear of SSC Napoli, who were due to visit Empoli yesterday.
Seydou Doumbia got Roma off to the perfect start with his first Serie A goal in the sixth minute, heading in Alessandro Florenzi’s cross.
Florenzi got on the score sheet himself with a stunning solo effort, skipping past two defenders before smashing a fine effort under the bar.
Miralem Pjanic sealed the result in the 74th minute, tapping home Gervinho’s cross.
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