|
|
|
 |
 |
| Juventus will finish 7th in Seria A after defeat |
 |
Juventus will finish a disappointing Serie A campaign in seventh place after they suffered defeat in their final home game against Parma.
Veteran striker Alessandro del Piero had fired the hosts ahead but a double from Davide Lanzafame before the break and a third from Jonathan Biabiany ensured an underwhelming final game at the Olimpico Grand Torino.
Vincenzo Iaquinta pulled back a goal in injury time, but it was scant consolation.
The defeat meant Juve will now have to go through the qualifying rounds of the Europa League next season with a four-point gap behind sixth-placed Napoli, and just next weekend's trip to AC Milan to come, too much of a margin to bridge.
Juve started well with Del Piero narrowly caught offside early on before Felipe Melo shot across the face of goal after his run behind the defence was picked out by Claudio Marchisio.
The hosts went ahead after 16 minutes when Iaquinta slid a through ball for Del Piero and the veteran thrashed a right-footed shot that left Antonio Mirante no chance of making a save.
Parma had offered little as an attacking threat but were level four minutes later when Lanzafama, who played in Juve's youth team, netted his first of the day.
The 23-year-old's goal had an element of luck, however, as his shot took a deflection off Giorgio Chiellini and fooled Gianluigi Buffon to fly in.
Chiellini then did well to clear a low cross from Hernan Crespo before Parma went ahead in the 36th minute.
The home defence were all over the place as Crespo ran onto a through ball and with just Buffon to beat he instead flicked the ball back for Lanzafama to slide home his second.
Del Piero almost clawed the goal back a minute later when his free-kick fizzed past the post.
Juve pressed for an equaliser after the break with Melo heading a Del Piero corner just over before Diego blasted wide when he had more time on the edge of the area.
Mirante was at full stretch to then deny Melo before Parma struck against the run of play with five minutes left.
The away side broke on a counter-attack through Francesco Valiani who fed Luca Antonelli on the left where a cross to Biabiany allowed him time to compose himself to beat an exposed Buffon.
Juve pulled a goal back in the third minute of added time, when Iaquinta beat the offside trap to force home from Marchisio's pass but it was too late to change the result.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
