07 July 2017
21 May 2017 was the day Juventus rewrote the history books by beating Crotone 3-0 to claim the Serie A title for a sixth straight season – an unprecedented feat in Italian football.
Cheered on by a capacity crowd, the Bianconeri flew out of the traps with Miralem Pjanic bending a free-kick just wide and Dani Alves firing over the top from range.
Twelve minutes in however, and Juve had already found the breakthrough. Juan Cuadrado’s cross from the right found Mario Mandzukic at the back post and the Croatian, celebrating his 31st birthday, seized his on-pitch present by burying low into the corner.
Buoyed by the early lead, the hosts kept their foot on the gas in search of a second: the busy Dybala saw a threatening shot blocked, as did Gonzalo Higuain after some neat build-up play with Alex Sandro. The champagne football was already flowing before the bottles had been opened.
Juve deserved to be 2-0 up by the break and that they were when Dybala, with the wave of his magic wand of a left foot, curled his free-kick over a sea of green shirts and into the top corner.
The Bianconeri began the second half as they did the first: knocking on the door for more. Cuadrado forced Crotone keeper Alex Cordaz into a save immediately after the restart before Dybala saw an effort deflected out for a corner.
Although there would be fewer action points to follow, the Bianconeri still had one last treat up their sleeve for the adoring crowd: in the 82nd minute, Alex Sandro rose highest at a corner-kick to head home off the underside of the crossbar.
Three-nil the final score. Game, set and match for Massimiliano Allegri’s men.
Now let the legend continue…
MAIN MATCH STATS
WHAT THEY SAID
BEST MATCH SNAPS
THE LEAGUE TABLE
