Juventus keep Champions League dream alive following thrilling win over Inter Milan
Juventus are on thin ice after enduring an underwhelming season in Serie A and in Europe. The Bianconeri have seen their standards drop exponentially this season.
From winning Serie A nine times on the bounce, Juventus have not only been dethroned, but are now fighting to even secure a place in the top four.
On Saturday, though, Andrea Pirlo’s side took a huge step towards qualifying for the Champions League when they defeated newly-crowned champions Inter Milan 3-2.
As it stands, Juventus have moved into third place in the table, albeit temporarily, and will be depending on other results to know their fate.
Juventus edge Inter Milan in derby
The Derby d’Italia is undoubtedly one of the biggest games in Italy. However, Inter Milan had nothing to lose during Saturday’s game.
The champions fielded a strong team and gave Juventus a run for their money but ultimately lost in what was a thrilling game of football.
Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring for the hosts after rebounding from his saved penalty. Romelu Lukaku, however, equalized for Antonio Conte’s side midway through the first half.
Juventus went ahead again when Juan Cuadrado scored before the break but a red card to Rodrigo Bentancur and an own goal from Giorgio Chiellini saw Inter claw their way back.
With the game heading towards a draw, Cuadrado stepped up again to score what proved to be the winner at the death.
Juventus keep Champions League dream alive
The win over Inter Milan comes as a huge relief to Juventus, whose chances of finishing in the top four remain slim.
The Bianconeri have, however, boosted their chances of qualifying for the Champions League, having now overtaken top-four rivals Napoli, who will face Fiorentina on Sunday.
“For us it was important to win to keep hoping. We had the obligation to continue our goal which was to win the three points tonight and we did it despite some difficulties,” Pirlo said after the game, as quoted by Juventus.com.
“Had we had the desire and determination of these last matches we would be talking about something else, but when you get to play for a fourth place on the last day it means that something is missing.”
Juventus’ Champions League hopes remain alive for now and any slip-up by their rivals will open the doors for them to secure a place in Europe.