Juventus remained on course for their first Serie A crown in nine seasons after crushing relegation-threatened Novara 4-0 yesterday as Milan stayed three points adrift with a 4-1 win at Siena.

A brace from Mirko Vucinic and goals from Marco Borriello and Arturo Vidal helped unbeaten Juventus record their eighth success in a row to reach 77 points with three matches left.

The Bianconeri, who have a better head-to-head record against Milan, could clinch the title as early as Wednesday should they defeat Lecce and Milan lose to Atalanta.

Despite the heavy defeat Novara, eight points adrift of safety, were not condemned to Serie B after third-from-bottom Lecce were beaten 2-1 at home by improving Parma.

Coach Antonio Conte admitted Juve could only lose the scudetto now.

“Three days ago Novara beat Lazio so we knew it wouldn’t be easy but we got the early goal and we kept our concentration right until the end,” he told Italy’s Sky Sports.

“We are getting closer and we are the masters of our own destiny. The squad has gone from strength to strength, driven by a great desire for success... Wednesday will be the game of our lives.”

At Novara, Borriello almost gave Juve a second-minute advantage with a left-foot shot that flew just the wrong side of the far post.

But with the away side piling forward the lead arrived soon after, when another former Roma striker, Vucinic, cleverly steered home Andrea Pirlo’s 16th-minute free-kick.

The Bianconeri doubled their lead five minutes before the break when an unmarked Borriello headed home Emanuele Giaccherini’s inviting centre.

Chilean midfielder Vidal made sure of the points five minutes after the restart, stroking the ball home after goalkeeper Alberto Santana had halted Vucinic’s charge, before Vucinic struck his second of the afternoon on 64 minutes.

Milan kept pace with Juve after frontmen Antonio Cassano and Zlatan Ibrahimovic struck in three first-half minutes to defeat Siena.

Cassano swept home on 26 minutes after home goalkeeper Zeljko Brkic could only parry an Ibrahimovic strike before the Swede struck with a left-foot blast to double the lead on 29 minutes after being played in by his Italian strike partner.

Substitute Erjon Bogdani pulled a goal back for the home side with seven minutes to play but Antonio Nocerino made the game safe for Milan with a last-minute strike with Ibrahimovic plundering his 26th Serie A goal of the campaign in stoppage time.

Cassano’s goal was his first since returning from heart surgery.

The 29-year-old international, who underwent surgery on November 14, last found the net against Palermo on October 15.

“It’s been a very good championship,” said Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri.

“We will try to push until the end but if they finish ahead of us then they deserve to win.”

Inter moved level on 55 points with Napoli, Lazio and Udinese in the battle for the third Champions League spot after coming from behind to defeat relegated Cesena 2-1.

Luca Ceccarelli gave the visitors a surprise 56th-minute lead before Nigerian midfielder Joel Obi equalised two minutes later with substitute Mauro Zarate grabbing a 72nd-minute winner for the Nerazzurri.

In the late match, Udinese defeated fading Lazio 2-0 for their first win in four matches. Antonio Di Natale blasted home a volley with 20 minutes left – his 21st goal of the campaign – before substitute Roberto Pereyra added a second in stoppage time in bizarre circumstances after the Lazio defence stopped playing.

Brazilian centre-back Andre Dias, who motioned he had heard a whistle, was sent off in the dying stages for protesting.

In other games, Atalanta defeated Fiorentina 2-0 and struggling Genoa lost 3-2 at Bologna.

Serie A

Atalanta 2
Denis 11; Bonaventura 51;
Fiorentina 0

HT: 1-0. Att: 15,000.
Missed penalty: Jovetic (F) 67.

Bologna 3
Portanova 24; Ramirez 37; Garics 67;
Genoa 2
Palacio 59; Jorquera 77;

HT: 2-0. Att: 18,000.

Inter 2
Obi 58; Zarate 72;
Cesena 1
Ceccarelli 56;

HT: 0-0. Att: 43,000.

Lecce 1
Tomovic 83;
Parma 2
Giovinco 67; Paletta 78;

HT: 0-0. Att: 10,000.
Red card: Esposito (L) 90.

Novara 0
Juventus 4
Vucinic 16, 64; Borriello 40; Vidal 50;

HT: 0-2. Att: 11,000.

Siena 1
Bogdani 83;
Milan 4
Cassano 26; Ibrahimovic 29, 90+; Nocerino 90;

HT: 0-2. Att: 10,000.

Udinese 2
Di Natale 69; Pereyra 90;
Lazio 0

HT: 0-0. Att: 18,000.
Red card: Dias (L) 90.

Standings


 P W D L F A Pts
Juventus 35 21 14 0 62 18 77
Milan 35 22 8 5 68 28 74
Udinese 35 15 10 10 47 35 55
Napoli 35 14 13 8 62 43 55
Lazio 35 16 7 12 50 45 55
Inter 35 16 7 12 52 47 55
Roma 35 15 6 14 55 50 51
Catania 35 11 14 10 45 47 47
Parma 35 12 11 12 48 52 47
Atalanta 35 13 13 9 40 36 46
Bologna 35 11 12 12 38 42 45
Chievo 35 11 11 13 30 41 44
Siena 35 11 10 14 43 40 43
Palermo 35 11 9 15 48 54 42
Cagliari 35 10 12 13 36 42 42
Fiorentina 35 10 11 14 34 41 41
Genoa 35 9 9 17 46 66 36
Lecce 35 8 11 16 39 53 35
Novara 35 6 10 19 29 61 28
Cesena 35 4 10 21 22 53 22

Next fixtures
Tomorrow: 18.00 Chievo vs Roma. 20.45 Napoli vs Palermo.
Wednesday: 15.00 Genoa vs Cagliari; 20.45 Catania vs Bologna; Cesena vs Udinese; Fiorentina vs Novara; Juventus vs Lecce; Lazio vs Siena; Milan vs Atalanta; Parma vs Inter.
Saturday: 18.00 Lecce vs Fiorentina. 20.45 Roma vs Catania.
Sunday: 12.30 Siena vs Parma. 15.00 Atalanta vs Lazio; Bologna vs Napoli; Cagliari vs Juventus; Novara vs Cesena; Palermo vs Chievo; Udinese vs Genoa. 20.45 Inter vs Milan.

Top scorers
26 goals: Ibrahimovic (Milan).
22 goals: Cavani (Napoli).
21 goals: Di Natale (Udinese).
20 goals: Milito (Inter).

Prima Divisione ‘A’
Carpi vs Foligno 1-0; Lumezzane vs Como 2-2; Monza vs Pisa 0-2; Pavia vs Tritium 2-2; Sorrento vs Pro Vercelli 2-1; Spal vs Avellino 3-1; Taranto vs Reggiana 1-0; Ternana vs Foggia 1-1; Viareggio vs Benevento 2-1.

Leading standings: Ternana 64 (promoted); Carpi, Taranto 60; Sorrento 57; Pro Vercelli 56; Benevento 53; Pisa 45; Lumezzane 43; Avellino 40.

Prima Divisione ‘B’
Barletta vs Carrarese 2-0; Bassano vs Piacenza 2-2; FeralpiSalo vs Frosinone 1-2; Latina vs Cremonese 1-1; Pergocrema vs Andria 0-0; Portogruaro vs Prato 2-2; Siracusa vs Lanciano 1-0; SudTirol vs Trapani 1-1; Triestina vs Spezia 1-2.

Leading standings: Spezia, Trapani 59; Siracusa 55; Lanciano 54; Cremonese 48; Barletta 47; Sud Tirol, Frosinone 45.

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