MILAN: Juventus will have to wait at least a few more days before they can celebrate winning a fourth consecutive Serie A title as Massimiliano Allegri’s side lost 2-1 to city rivals Torino for the first time in 20 years on Sunday.

Fresh from winning through to their first Champions League semi-final in 12 years after beating Monaco in midweek, Juve took their eye off the ball domestically and suffered a second defeat in three Serie A matches.

Juve looked set to continue their 17-match unbeaten run in the fixture when Andrea Pirlo put the visitors ahead with a typically majestic free kick in the 35th minute.

But Matteo Darmian levelled for Torino on the stroke of halftime and Fabio Quagliarella scored the winner against his former club in the 57th minute, just after Pirlo had struck the post from another free kick.

“We haven’t allowed two goals in a long time,” Allegri said. “We needed to be a bit tighter defensively. This certainly wasn’t a match we deserved to lose.”

Juventus still look certain to wrap up a fourth successive Serie A title especially after second-placed Lazio, the only team who can catch them, were held 1-1 at home by lowly Chievo, leaving them 14 points adrift with six matches left.

AS Roma are one point further back in third after a 2-1 loss at Inter Milan on Saturday.

Juventus still look certain to wrap up a fourth successive Serie A title especially after second-placed Lazio, the only team who can catch them, were held 1-1 at home by lowly Chievo, leaving them 14 points adrift with six matches left.

Juventus, who have 73 points from 32 games, will be crowned on Wednesday if they beat Fiorentina at home and Lazio fail to overcome bottom-of-the-table Parma.

Lazio appeared to have done the hard part against Chievo when Miroslav Klose broke from midfield to put them ahead on the stroke of halftime, dinking the ball over Albano Bizzarri at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

But Chievo levelled against the run of play when Ezequiel Schelotto’s off-target shot was turned into the goal by Alberto Paloschi.

Luca Toni, 37, scored twice to give Verona a 3-2 win over Sassuolo in a midtable game, taking his tally for the season to 17, and Atalanta eased their relegation worries when a stoppage time goal by German Denis gave them a 2-2 draw at home to Empoli.

Parma, who have had seven points deducted this season for breaching Serie A financial regulations, clung on grimly for another week when Antonio Nocerino’s penalty gave them a 1-0 win over Palermo.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2015

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