Juve look to secure trophy

Naples, May 4: Juventus will secure their 29th Serie A title with a draw at home to relegation-threatened Palermo on Sunday as the battle for places in Europe, and to stay in Italy’s top flight, heats up.

A draw for Juventus in Turin would give Antonio Conte’s champions an unassailable 12-point lead over Napoli with three games remaining after this weekend.

All Walter Mazzarri’s Napoli’s side can realistically hope for is a win at home to Inter on Sunday in order to cement second place, which offers direct qualification for next season’s Champions League.

AC Milan sit in third ahead of the visit of Torino to the San Siro on Sunday, but are still seven points behind Napoli and are under pressure for the third and final Champions League spot from Fiorentina, in fourth only one point adrift.

Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsik has all but admitted his side’s title hopes are over, but the Slovakian admitted Juve had simply been better.

“We’ve had a great season and only slipped up a few times. Unfortunately,

Juventus did better,” Hamsik told Sky Sport

We’ve had a great season and only slipped up a few times. Unfortunately, Juventus did better... I can’t have any regrets. We’re improving as a team –– Marek Hamsik Napoli playmaker

Italia. “I can’t have any regrets. We’re improving as a team and you can’t turn your nose up at a second place finish.” Juventus have lost only four times this season and with 66 goals are second only to Roma for goals scored (68).

In the absence of an outand-out striker, Juventus’s top scorer this campaign has been Chilean Arturo Vidal, who has scored nine in the league and 14 in all competitions. He is now just three short of becoming Juventus’s most prolific midfielder in a single Serie A season, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Any joy Napoli may garner from qualifying for Europe’s top table next season may be tempered by the expected sale of their top scorer, Edinson Cavani.

The Uruguayan has scored a league-leading 23 goals but is expected to be sold to either Real Madrid or Manchester City in the summer.

Hamsik signed a contract extension at Napoli despite several enticing offers. He admitted: “I don’t have any regrets and I’m happy to be here. I hope Mazzarri and Cavani can stay here.”

Milan, meanwhile, face a Torino side still hurting from 0-2 loss to Juventus.