Six of the best for Juve

TITLE IS IN THE BAG Mandzukic, Dybala send Crotone closer to relegation trapdoor.

First-half goals from Mario Mandzukic and Paulo Dybala, and a late header from Alex Sandro sealed a 3-0 win over Crotone to hand Juventus a record sixth consecutive Serie A title yesterday.

Massimiliano Allegri’s men took a one-point lead over Roma into their penultimate game of the league campaign and needed a win to secure the title.

Ahead of their final game at Bologna next week, Juve are now four points ahead.

Mandzukic gave the hosts a 12th-minute lead when he met Juan Cuadrado’s cross at the back post to fire past Alex Cordaz in the visitors’ net.

Mandzukic, celebrating his 31st birthday, almost gave Juve a 2-0 lead before Fabio Sampirisi toe-poked the ball away from the big forward as he took aim.

But the fans who packed out the stadium for their final home game were not to be denied.

Dybala doubled the lead with a sumptuous freekick that curled into the top corner to leave Cordaz with no chance six minutes before half-time.

Crotone came close to reducing the arrears on the stroke of halftime when Diego Falcinelli’s effort deflected off Mehdi Benatia’s back to leave keeper Gianluigi Buffon stranded, the ball skimming the far top corner.

But the Calabrians were never likely to deny Juventus the well-deserved title celebrations, that had been put on hold last week when Roma stunned Allegri’s men 3-1 at the Stadio Olimpico.

Juve bounced back from their defeat in the capital three days later with a 2-0 Cup final victory over Lazio.

And their third consecutive league and Cup double, also a record, was all but sealed seven minutes before full time when Cordaz palmed Sandro’s bullet header in off the underside of the crossbar, goalline technology confirming it had crossed the line. – AFP