Juventus earned a vital 3-1 victory over old foes AC Milan at Allianz Stadium on Saturday to stride ahead in the Serie A title race as Max Allegri’s side chase an unprecedented seventh Scudetto in a row.
Paulo Dybala rocketed in a scintillating opener before former Juve favourite Leonardo Bonucci stunned the home crowd with a fine header to gain parity for the Rossoneri.
It was a finely-balanced contest after that with the visitors coming closest to netting a second when Hakan Calhanoglu rattled Gianluigi Buffon’s crossbar.
Yet substitute Juan Cuadrado nodded in 11 minutes from time to see Juve retake the lead, while Sami Khedira’s low belter sealed an important three points on the road to what the Old Lady will be seventh heaven.
Here, we pick out three takeaways from Turin.
LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN LOOKS NAILED ON
Before Saturday, discussions regarding Italian football centered on the belief the Serie A title is a genuine battle and that Juventus’ quest for a seventh-straight Scudetto will be tested significantly.
Yet, Serie A has quickly gone from being the tightest title race in Europe this season, to the only title race in Europe this season, to now being the fifth title race in Europe this season that is as good as over.
How can that be the case, you may cry. Paris-Saint Germain and Bayern Munich enjoy gargantuan 17-point advantages in Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga respectively. Manchester City hold a 16-point lead over rivals and neighbours Manchester United in the Premier League (United have a game in hand), while Barcelona are 12 points in front of Atletico Madrid (who also have a game in hand) in La Liga.
The Bianconeri’s grip atop Serie A seems measly by comparison, at just four points. But while Allegri’s men were brushing aside rejuvenated AC Milan 3-1 to extend their four-month unbeaten run to 17 matches, pretenders Napoli drew 1-1 at 16th-placed Sassuolo.
They have won just once in four Serie A games, with March 3’s chastening 4-2 home defeat to third-placed Roma ending a 10-match unbeaten run.
With the vice-like grip the Old Lady have exerted on Italian football, it’s hard to conjure belief that the end of this season will be anything other than the same old story as the narrative from the previous six chapters.
A perfect way to start the defining stretch of the season. 💪
Goodnight, Bianconeri! 🏳🏴#FinoAllaFine #ForzaJuve pic.twitter.com/IBnPSgHm3P
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) March 31, 2018
CUADRADO RETURN A MASSIVE BOOST AS JUVE LOOK TO REGAIN TITLE
Juventus’ march towards the title picked up pace on Saturday. And when you have world-class players like Juan Cuadrado nearing a return to full fitness and available to call upon from the bench to change games, it reiterates the belief of there being a maddening inevitability to it.
The crafty Colombian has been missing since December 23’s victory over Roma, with a long-standing groin injury operated on in January.
There was speculation he wouldn’t return before the end of the season. Yet there he was, ghosting in at the back post behind the statuesque Hakan Calhanoglu to bullet a brilliant header past Gianluigi Donnarumma 18 minutes after emerging from the dugout to effectively decide the game in the Bianconeri’s favour.
Cuadrado’s condition was checked by the Colombia medical staff while the player was in Paris during the international break, although his recovery time was said to be unclear.
He was not expected to be eligible to play for the next two games, yet here he was, a matchwinner.
It’s what he does. Juve have players of his pedigree in abundance.
Sure, Napoli have Marek Hamsik, Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne. But Juve have Gonzalo Higuain, Dybala, Douglas Costa and now the returning Cuadrado.
When you factor in Dybala’s timely return to form – strengthened by a busy performance and stunning opener against Milan – Juve have a deeply rich tapestry of artists who can weave them a dream seventh successive domestic title.
How we’ve missed you @Cuadrado
pic.twitter.com/RxKOI1ACvD— Juvefc.com (@juvefcdotcom) March 31, 2018
LEO CAN BE A LION FOR MILAN
Leonardo Bonucci’s defection from Juventus to AC Milan stunned Italy and the footballing world last summer after seven glorious years in Turin.
He earned a hefty payrise, although the celebrated defender insisted it was his passion for a new challenge that drove him to a decision rather than money.
Whatever his motivation, it seemed a fool’s errand as a Milan squad bristling with talent endured a nightmare start to the campaign, losing six and drawing three of their opening 14 Serie A games. The Azzurri veteran’s nadir seemed to come following a red card for elbowing Aleandro Rosi in a 0-0 draw with Genoa in October.
Yet, the Rossoneri have lost just three of the following 14 as they’ve climbed to sixth, into a Europa League spot and with hopes of challenging for a return to the Champions League after five long years.
It’s been a quiet return to form, although there was nothing quiet about Bonucci’s celebration against his former employers as he surged in to plant a brilliant header past former teammate Gianluigi Buffon on Saturday to draw Milan level.
It silenced the home crowd, although his celebration was angrily animated.
The man himself revealed a spat with Allegri following his omission from a Champions League clash with Porto last season was one of the reasons he left.
