Serie A
Turin derby draw compounds Juve misery
Che Adams was the hero for Torino as his 84th-minute equaliser earned a 2-2 draw against Juventus, which missed out on Champions League qualification on the final matchday.… Show More
Che Adams was the hero for Torino as his 84th-minute equaliser earned a 2-2 draw against Juventus, which missed out on Champions League qualification on the final matchday.
Juventus knew it needed favours from elsewhere to stand any chance of finishing in the top four, but its fate was realistically sealed before full-time even after letting its two-goal lead slip away.
Kick-off at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino was delayed for over an hour after both sets of fans clashed outside the ground, reportedly leaving one Juventus fan needing to be admitted to hospital after sustaining serious injuries.
But once play got underway, Juventus took the lead in the 24th minute through Dusan Vlahovic, who saw his shot deflect off Enzo Ebosse and wrong-foot Alberto Paleari.
Vlahovic was at it again nine minutes after the break to double Juve's advantage, with the Serbian sending a precise side-footed finish into the bottom-left corner of the net.
However, Torino halved the deficit on the hour when Cesare Casadei headed in from Rafa Obrador's corner, and their comeback was completed late on when substitute Adams volleyed home from another set-piece to seal a share of the spoils.
AC Milan's defeat to Cagliari at San Siro meant Juventus would have overtaken the Rossoneri with a win, but following victories for Como and Roma in games that finished earlier, only a nine-goal margin of victory would have lifted them into the top four.
In the end, after Torino's fightback, it finished sixth on 69 points.
Como will play in the Champions League for the first time in its history after its brilliant season was rounded off by a 4-1 win over 10-man Cremonese.
Cesc Fabregas's team went into the final day knowing a win would be enough for it to finish in the top four, as long as Milan lost.
That came to pass, with captain Lucas da Cunha scoring twice at Stadio Giovanni Zini to headline its victory.
Jesus Rodriguez and Tasos Douvikas were also on target, rendering Federico Bonazzoli's 55th-minute penalty a consolation as Cremonese was relegated to Serie B.
Roma will also play in UEFA's flagship competition for the first time in seven years after Donyell Malen and Stephan El Shaarawy helped seal a 2-0 win away to Hellas Verona.
The Giallorossi finished third, three points behind runner-up Napoli, with Como two points further back in fourth. Milan were one point worse off in fifth.
