Juventus eager to tick off

chasing Juventus and in-form underdogs Crotone have different ideas of glory when they meet Sunday in Turin in the penultimate round of the Italian Serie A season.

The Bianconeri beat Lazio 2-0 in Rome yesterday for a record of three straight Italian Cup triumphs and now seek an unprecedented sixth consecutive league title, to set a record of three back-to-back doubles.

They sit four points clear of Roma, who last weekend delayed the Scudetto party by beating them 3-1, while third-place Napoli are a further point adrift.

Newcomers Crotone dream of escaping the three-team drop zone and a second season in the top flight, having enjoyed five wins and two draws to move within one point of safety.

Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri looks to settle matters at home to then begin the run up to the Champions League final set for June 3 against holders Real Madrid.

Allegri, however, sounded wary of the Sharks from Calabria. “It will be hard against Crotone because they’ve picked up 17 points in their last seven games (versus Juve’s 12) and they’re scrapping for their Serie A survival,” the coach said.

“We’re going to have to produce a top performance.”

Juve might theoretically celebrate with a loss, depending on the results of Roma at Chievo and Napoli at home to Fiorentina tomorrow.

But the Romans and Neapolitans, who are both with Juve in the next season’s Champions League, will not pull punches as they battle

Monaco, after the euphoria of a league title won in brilliant style will come the realisation that this could be the start of a glorious era. Cut down to size by Juventus in the Champions League semifinals, at home they have racked up the goals at an alarming rate to hold off PSG’s formidable challenge, becoming just the fifth team ever to hit the 100 mark in a French season. Given the way in which Paris romped to the title last season, wrapping it up in early March, Monaco’s championship triumph is enormously refreshing. For a club from a glitzy millionaire’s playground this is no fairytale. Monaco are no minnows, but in a modern game brutally dominated by an elite few, there is a risk that a great side will be quickly torn apart. Eighteenyear-old Kylian Mbappe, dubbed the new Thierry Henry, has been linked to Madrid and Manchester United. It will be difficult for Monaco to resist an eye-watering offer. Premier League clubs are keen on Tiemoue Bakayoko, a revelation after a difficult first two years at the club, and Chinese clubs could come back in for Radamel Falcao. There will be comings and goings, but how many changes are made is the key. Monaco face a dilemma between cashing in and risking looking back at this season as a glorious one-off, or keeping a team together and making this title the first of many.