Juventus set for fourth in a row
SERIE A: POINT AGAINST SAMPDORIA WILL SETTLE IT
Mihajlovic blasts his out-of-sorts team ahead of game.
Juventus need just a single point at Sampdoria to clinch their fourth successive Serie A title today and their out-ofsorts opponents seem unlikely to deny them.
Samp have had a reasonable season but faltered badly in recent weeks, failing to win any of their last five games and seeing their chances of qualifying for the Champions League vanish.
The run, which has left them fi fth with 51 points, has come amid uncertainty over the future of coach Sinisa Mihajlovic, who has transformed the side since taking over 18 months ago but has not committed himself to the club beyond the end of the season.
They were dealt a further blow this week when forward Eder suffered a knee injury that ruled him out for the rest of the season.
Mihajlovic, typically, has not minced his words.
Players such as forward Luis Muriel, who has scored four goals since his move from Udinese in January, should make more of their talent and potential, he said.
“Luis Muriel needs to take responsibility. He has to improve in the way he interprets the game and be ever-present, not take so many breaks,” said Mihajlovic.
Forward Stefano Okaka was another who needed to do more, Mihajlovic said.
Juventus (76 points) beat Fiorentina 3-2 on Wednesday but second-placed Lazio’s 4- 0 win over Parma put their title celebrations on hold.
Juve have lost only three league matches all season, but two of those came in their last two away games as they try to juggle Serie A with their Champions League campaign.
A crop of injuries has added to their problems.
Lazio (62 points) charged up the table with a run of eight successive wins, which ended with a recent defeat to Juventus, and their main focus will be to hold onto second and claim the Champions League group stage place that goes with it.
They visit Atalanta tomorrow while AS Roma, one point behind in third (which brings a Champions League play-off spot) host sixth-placed Genoa.
Roma, who were neck-andneck with Juventus for the first half of the season, now have a fivepoint cushion over Napoli after Rafael Benitez’s side crashed 4-2 at Empoli on Thursday.
However, Napoli should get three points tomorrow against an AC Milan side in disarray after going four matches without a win and sitting in 10th place. – Reuters