BAD OUT: Cristiano Ronaldo, injured and not on the pitch today, must realize that Juventus’ Champions League place is in significant danger. Foto: Jonathan Moscrop / Sportimage/PA Images
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Juventus can probably give up hope of a Serie A title number ten in a row after the 0-1 loss against Atalanta on Sunday. Now it will be a battle to save a place in the Champions League.
Sunday’s loss means that Juventus, with one game more played, is twelve points behind Inter at the top. With only seven games left to play, it will be another miracle if Juventus are to beat Inter, Milan and Atalanta in third place.
Down to Naples in fifth place there are only two points. On Sunday, Napoli stopped Inter’s 11 games long winning streak with 1-1. Christian Eriksen saved with his first league goal a draw for Inter, which is nine points ahead of league runners-up Milan.
Juventus have only won one of their last four matches. On Sunday, the club had to do without an injured Cristiano Ronaldo. Neither team created anything special before the match was decided three minutes before full time.
Then Ruslan Malinovskji fired from distance, and the ball went in goal after a control from Alex Sandro.
– They were lucky with the late goal. It’s disappointing. We could have got at least one point, said Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo.
After the loss, it is also clear that Atalanta has the advantage if the two clubs end up with equal points and must be separated on mutual settlement.
In Spain, Atlético Madrid fought back hard after two points losses and retain the first place in La Liga after crushing Eibar 5-0. Real Madrid could have taken the lead if Atlético had scored against Eibar, but only managed 0-0 against Getafe. Thus, Atlético has a three-point gap. Barcelona is five points behind Atlético Madrid with one game less played. (NTB)
—-NOT GOOD ENOUGH: Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane shows the thumbs up on the way to Getafe, but 0-0 and only one point is thumbs down. Photo: PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU / AFP
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