A second half double from Stephan El Shaarawy and Radja Nainggolan gave Roma a 3-1 victory over Serie A leaders Juventus meaning they will have to wait at least one more week before they are to be crowned champions.
Juventus needed just one point from the match to confirm a sixth consecutive Scudetto, and they were well o their way to that Serie A record when Mario Lemina slotted home 21 minutes in. But, an instant reply from Daniele De Rossi, then a 56 minute goal from El Shaarawy and Nainggolan’s thunderstike mean Juve need four points from their last two games to be confirmed champions.
Roma on the other hand moved back above Napoli, who had a 5-0 win over Torino earlier on Sunday, into second place in the standings.
Initially, Juventus created the more dangerous opportunities in the opening period with Kwadwo Asamoah hitting the post and Gonzalo Higuain curling just over the crossbar.
The Bianconeri did eventually breakthrough the Roma backline when Stefano Sturaro played an inch-perfect ball over the top to Higuain, who then side-footed across goal for Lemina to tap home unchallenged at the back post.
Two minutes later De Rossi had Roma level. A Leandro Paredes corner found the head of Kostas Manolas was denied by an expert Gianluigi Buffon save, only for the Juve goalkeeper to instantly deny De Rossi with another miracle save from close range.
The Roma captain eventually smashed into the roof of the net at the second time of asking to score in his third consecutive Serie A game for the first time in his career.
After the break, Roma went for the jugular and got their reward 11 minutes in as El Shaarawy cut into the penalty area from the left and his low shot took a slight deflection off the foot of Stephan Lichtsteiner and rolled into the far corner.
Things got better for the Giallorossi when Nainggolan blasted home a third, 65 minutes in, from a tight angle inside the penalty area.
Even the introduction of Paulo Dybala couldn’t save Juventus. The Argentinian had a couple of chances but both were put wide. Leonardo Bonucci also saw a header go just over the crossbar, after Higuain also had a strike at goal, and right at the death a sensational Szczesny save denied Higuain.
MATCH FACTS
- Roma have scored at least three goals in six of their last nine games.
- Last time Juventus didn’t win three Serie A games in a row was back in September 2015.
- Juventus have scored exactly one goal in all their last five Serie A games against Roma.
- Gonzalo Higuain has had a hand in 27 goals (24 goals, 3 assists) this season in Serie A: since 2004/05 the only player to have more was Dybala in last season.
- Daniele De Rossi has scored in three Serie A games in a row for the first time in his career.
- Juventus have scored with 16 different players in this Serie A, only Lazio (17) have more.
- The last time Stephan El Shaarawy scored in two Serie A games in a row was back in March 2016.
- The last time Juventus conceded goal for three consecutive Serie A games was in December.
- Gianluigi Buffon played his 450th Serie A game for Juventus tonight.
- Juventus have hit the woodwork 20 times this season in Serie A, only Roma have done it more (21).
