Juventus secure record 31st Serie A title

Juventus landed a fourth successive Serie A crown, and their first under coach Massimiliano Allegri, with four games to spare by winning 1-0 at Sampdoria on Saturday.

Arturo Vidal headed the only goal from Stephan Lichtsteiner's cross in the 32nd minute to put Juve 17 points clear of second-placed Lazio who drew 1-1 away to Atalanta on Sunday.

It was Juventus’ 31st league title triumph, making them Italy’s most successful domestic team by far.

The win completed another dominant season by Juve who have led since the fourth matchday except for one week when they slipped to second. They have lost only three times in 34 games and are on course for the treble, having reached the Champions League semi-finals and Italian Cup final.

Allegri had previously won Serie A with AC Milan in 2011 but was sacked by them halfway through last season.

His appointment by Juve in July, replacing Antonio Conte who won the three previous titles, was greeted by protests from the fans but he quickly won them over.

“We started the season in a bit of a stormy atmosphere with a new coach but the players did well and the coach was intelligent in getting into the mentality of Juve,” defender Leonardo Bonucci told reporters.

It was a typically pragmatic display by Juve who, needing a draw to clinch the crown, rested playmaker Andrea Pirlo and took their foot off the pedal in the second half.

There is little time for celebrations for Juventus who host Real Madrid in a Champions League semi-final first leg on Tuesday evening.