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Kean winner puts Juventus on brink of Serie A title
MILAN, April 7, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Teenage sensation Moise Kean scored the
winner to put Juventus one step away from an eighth consecutive Serie A title
on Saturday as a 2-1 comeback win over AC Milan pushed the champions 21
points clear at the top.
Kean — the victim of racist abuse earlier this week in Cagliari — came on
as a substitute and fired in the winner on 84 minutes for his fifth goal in
as many league games.
The Turin giants will seal a 35th Scudetto on Sunday with seven matches to
spare — the earliest any team has won Serie A — if second-placed Napoli
lose at home against Genoa.
Juventus were playing without injured striker Cristiano Ronaldo, recovering
from a thigh injury, as they prepare for their Champions League quarter-
final, first leg against Ajax.
But 19-year-old Kean has stepped up in the absence of the Portuguese
superstar who is battling to be fit for Wednesday’s game in Amsterdam.
“Even today Kean came on and scored, he is very good at that,” said Allegri
of the youngster who also scored twice in two Euro 2020 qualifiers for Italy.
“He’s a young man who is doing very well, but let’s leave him to be calm.
“Will he play on Wednesday (against Ajax)? We’ll see, the substitutes are
important as we saw today.”
Krzysztof Piatek had put visiting AC Milan ahead five minutes before the
break with his 21st goal of the season. Paulo Dybala pulled the hosts level
from the spot on the hour mark.
– Roma back winning –
For Milan, the defeat further damages their Champions League ambitions with
just one point from their last four Serie A games.
Gennaro Gattuso’s side are fourth but can be overtaken by Atalanta, who are
one point behind and travel to third-placed Inter Milan on Sunday.
Roma, also targeting a Champions League berth, got back winning with
captain Daniele De Rossi scoring the only goal against Sampdoria, to sit
sixth, equal on points with Atalanta.
“We still have a chance to qualify for the Champions League if we beat
Lazio next Saturday,” said Gattuso, as they target a first Champions League
campaign since 2013-14.
The visitors had come out firing.
Piatek missed a chance after two minutes, heading wide from Suso’s cross.
Franck Kessie was also off target early.
Sami Khedira came on for the first time since heart surgery a month ago,
replacing fellow German Emre Can who went off early with an ankle sprain.
Milan were denied a penalty when Alex Sandro handled Hakan Calhanoglu’s
cross. The referee decided it was unintentional after a VAR review.
Minutes later, Piatek broke through to beat fellow Pole Wojciech Szczesny
following a blunder from former Milan defender Leonardo Bonucci, who had been
widely criticised for comments he made over the racist abuse Kean suffered in
Cagliari.
Tiemoue Bakayoko pounced on his sloppy pass to burst through for Piatek to
score.
Mario Mandzukic almost grabbed the equaliser before the break but Pepe
Reina, at full stretch, tipped clear the Croat’s acrobatic effort.
A reckless Mateo Musacchio foul on fellow Argentine Dybala allowed the
hosts to pull level.
Kean came on for Dybala and 20 minutes later delivered the winner as
Bonucci rushed to celebrate with the striker he had blamed for partly
inciting a barrage of racist abuse in Sardinia.
In Genoa, De Rossi gave new coach Claudio Ranieri just his second win in
five games since taking over.
The captain forced the ball in on 75 minutes after a Patrik Schick header
was saved.
Torino dropped out of the Europa League places with a goalless draw at
Parma, as Lazio, with a game in hand, look to stay in the Champions League
chase at home against Sassuolo on Sunday.
BSS/AFP/GMR/0835 hrs