Rome: Juventus are ready to finally celebrate a third successive Serie ‘A’ crown that has been practically in the bag for months when they host Atalanta in Turin on Monday.
Despite spirited opposition from AS Roma, Juventus will be crowned champions for the 30th time if they beat Stefano Colantuono’s Europa League-chasing side.
Antonio Conte’s side could find themselves walking out at the Juventus Stadium against Atalanta with the title already secured if Roma, eight points behind with three games to play, fail to win at bottom club Catania on Sunday.
Since Juventus thumped Roma 3-0 in January this season’s scudetto been more of question of when rather than if, despite an astonishing campaign from Roma that has seen Rudi Garcia’s side establish a club record points total of 85. They have won nine games on the bounce, playing a scintillating style of football that has put the troubles of the past few years long behind them.
Garcia has already made clear his intention to stay at Roma and build a team that can pose an even bigger threat to Juventus next season, and has managed to ruffle some feathers by suggesting that teams facing relegation were not trying as hard against Juve as you might expect of a team facing the drop. Saturday’s Milan derby features two clubs struggling to find an identity and fighting for the Europa League scraps, with Inter Milan in fifth on 57 points.
The derby will be Javier Zanetti’s last as an Inter player after 19 years at the club, with president Erick Thohir already lining up backroom role for the 40-year-old Argentine.
