Inter ends Juve’s dominance to win first Scudetto since 2010

Rome, Italy | XINHUA |  Inter Milan claimed the 19th Scudetto in club history on Sunday as the 1-1 draw between Atalanta and Sassuolo gifted the Nerazzurri a first Serie A championship since 2010, and the first major title since winning the Coppa Italia in 2011.

Inter last claimed the Scudetto in the 2009-2010 season, when Jose Mourinho led the Italian giants to a historic treble. AC Milan then topped Serie A the following year, before Juventus established an era of dominance by winning nine consecutive titles.

The Nerazzurri temporarily went 13 points clear on the table after a 2-0 victory over already-relegated Crotone on Saturday. Antonio Conte’s side was expected to end the title drought with four games remaining once Atalanta failed to beat Sassuolo, and the 1-1 draw was enough for Inter to secure the championship.

“We are, yes, we are. Champions of Italy. We can finally scream it, after dreaming of it, after keeping it hidden in the depths of our hearts, after holding on to it like a precious dream that we did not want to waste. We wear this Scudetto. Beautiful, emphatic, deserved. Long-awaited and yearned for,” Inter wrote on its website.

And the newly-crowned champions also warned the fans to “celebrate responsibly”.

While the Scudetto has been secured, the top-four race is still wide open as Juventus fights for a Champions League spot.

The Bianconeri was 1-0 down just 10 minutes into the game as Nahuel Molina gave Udinese an early lead, but Juve started to push forward and it paid off in the last minutes as Cristiano Ronaldo ended his goal drought with a penalty and a header, helping the Old Lady finish the comeback.

Atalanta, Juventus, and AC Milan rank second to fourth all with 69 points, while fifth-placed Napoli with 67 points also has Champions League aspirations after a 1-1 draw with Cagliari on Sunday.

In Sunday’s other fixtures, Lazio edged Genoa 4-3, Sampdoria conquered Roma 2-0, and Bologna shared the spoils with Fiorentina 3-3.

****

XINHUA