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Juventus 2018-19: Bianconeri join Europe's fastest title triumphs

Juventus celebrate a Serie A win against AC Milan

For the eighth year in a row Juventus are the champions of Serie A, but their latest triumph may be their most impressive yet.

The competition has been simply obliterated, with Juve beaten only twice in the league this season as Cristiano Ronaldo rested up at Genoa and SPAL.

Napoli, the closest of the other contenders, have been unable to match Juve's searing pace and, despite having six matches still to play, their title hopes are already over after a 2-1 comeback win over Fiorentina crowned Juve again.

Ronaldo's arrival from Real Madrid might not have delivered the intended results in the Champions League, but it appears to have inspired Juve to new heights domestically.

Eight straight Scudetti sets a new record in Europe's top-five leagues, outrstripping Lyon's seven consecutive Ligue 1 titles between 2001-02 and 2007-08, while no Serie A club has ever sealed the deal with more than Juve's five games remaining.

Omnisport takes a look at six of the fastest triumphs across the continent since the start of the 21st century, when league success has not necessarily coincided with European glory.

Bundesliga: Bayern Munich

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Bayern lead the way in the Bundesliga having claimed the 2013-14 title after just 27 matchdays. Pep Guardiola's first season in charge of the Bavarian giants was a roaring success, Bayern also claiming the DFB-Pokal, Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup. Mario Mandzukic, now playing a key role for Juve, led the way with 18 Bundesliga goals and Bayern only lost twice in the top flight. A 5-0 aggregate thrashing by Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals marred their season, though.

Ligue 1: Paris Saint-Germain

There were still eight rounds of games to go when PSG won the Ligue 1 title in 2015-16 under Laurent Blanc. Indeed, they could have sealed the league even earlier having been unbeaten in their first 27 matches of the campaign before suffering a 2-1 loss away to Lyon at the end of February. Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored an amazing 50 goals in all competitions but there was European disappointment for PSG, too, after being edged out 3-2 on aggregate by Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. 

 

Premier League: Manchester United, Manchester City

Two clubs have won the Premier League with five games still to play this century: Manchester United and their rivals Manchester City. United cruised to glory in the 2000-01 season under Alex Ferguson, losing only twice before the end of March, although they ended the campaign limply with three consecutive defeats. United reached the last eight of the Champions League but found Bayern too strong.

City smashed a series of records in crushing the competition last term, as they also won the league with five games remaining - denied the outright Premier League best mark when United won a dramatic Manchester derby 3-2. Guardiola's City racked up 100 points, finished 19 clear of United and boasted a stunning goal difference of +79. There was more European disappointment for Guardiola, though, with a 3-0 loss at Anfield setting up a 5-1 aggregate defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-finals.

 

LaLiga: Barcelona

Guardiola's former club Barcelona are on track to win the league again this term, having had four games remaining when they secured the title under Ernesto Valverde last season. They sealed the double by collecting the Copa del Rey, demolishing Sevilla 5-0 in a marvellous display that marked Andres Iniesta's farewell. But Barca were on the wrong end of one of the great Champions League comebacks, contriving to exit at the quarter-final stage to Roma by losing 3-0 at the Stadio Olimpico, having won the first leg 4-1 at home.

Serie A: Inter

Prior to Juve's success this term, Inter's 2006-07 triumph under Roberto Mancini was out in front as the quickest Scudetto secured, with the Nerazzurri having five games in hand. Inter did not lose until mid-April, going down 3-1 at home to Roma in their only league defeat of the season. They also reached the final of the Coppa Italia, again losing to Roma after a stunning 6-2 first-leg defeat. As is the case with all the other record-holders mentioned above, Inter underperformed in Europe, with Valencia knocking them out of the Champions League in the round of 16.

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