Juve on verge of clinching title
SCUDETTO: IF CHAMPIONS BEAT TORINO THE RACE IS OVER
Khedira urges Allegri’s men not to take foot off the pedal.
Cool-headed midfielder Sami Khedira has called for focus as treble-chasing Juventus seek to wrap up a record Serie A title with a derby win over Torino today.
A Juventus win, coupled with a Roma defeat at Europa League-chasing AC Milan tomorrow, would take the champions’ lead over the capital side to 12 points with three games to play.
But securing a record sixth consecutive scudetto, says Khedira, is just one step on a road he hopes will see Juventus claim an unprecedented treble, seven years after Jose Mourinho achieved the feat with Inter Milan.
The 32-times Italian champions face Lazio in the Italian Cup final next month and, after a 2-0 win over Monaco in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal, look to have one foot in the Cardiff final.
German midfielder Khedira, who sat out Wednesday’s win due to suspension, insisted there is still plenty of work to do.
“The fans have a dream, which is the same as ours,” Khedira said this week. “But if we want to go all the way we still have a lot of hard work ahead of us.”
After seeing Gonzalo Higuain score twice at the Stade Louis II, coach Massimiliano Allegri is set to make several changes.
Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who made a string of fine saves to thwart the French league leaders, could make way for No 2 Norberto Neto, with Allegri also likely to tinker with his four-man defence.
Striker Andrea Belotti, a reported target for Manchester United and Chelsea, is battling Roma striker Edin Dzeko for the top scorer’s award.
Both are tied at the top on 25 goals, with Mauro Icardi (Inter Milan) on 24 and Higuain still in contention, a year after triumphing thanks to a new Serie A record of 36 goals, on 23 so far.
Roma go to the San Siro days after it was confirmed that club icon Francesco Totti, 40, would retire at the end of the season before taking up a management role.
Napoli, only one point behind in third place, will move into the second automatic Champions League qualifying spot with a win at home to Cagliari today. –