Juventus need four points to successfully defend the Serie A title after Arturo Vidal’s penalty decided a crucial 1-0 victory over Milan in Turin, last night.

While the Rossoneri sweat over their chances of competing in next season’s Champions League, Juve can seal a second straight Scudetto by winning next Sunday’s derby meeting with Torino, should second-placed Napoli fail to beat Pescara.

A Vidal penalty in the second half was the difference between the two sides, who are now separated by 18 points with five games remaining.

The result means the Bianconeri are assured of their place in the Champions League next season while, with an 11-point cushion over Napoli, they could wrap up the title with four games to spare.

Milan, however, are looking over their shoulders with fourth-placed Fiorentina now just a point behind in the race for Champions League football.

Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri picked an attacking line-up in response to Napoli’s earlier 3-2 win over Cagliari which opened a seven-point gap between second and third place.

Robinho, one of three forwards in his starting XI, tried his luck in the early exchanges but just missed the target.

Andrea Pirlo went closer to breaking the deadlock in the eighth minute with a free-kick that took a deflection off Massimo Ambrosini in the wall, making life difficult for Christian Abbiati who somehow managed to change direction and turn the ball behind for a corner.

Milan’s top goalscorer Stephan El Shaarawy responded by giving Gianluigi Buffon his first test of the evening in the 24th minute.

Marco Amelia soon came on for the injured Abbiati and he had to deal with another deflected Pirlo free-kick as the two sides reached the break on even terms.

The substitute keeper negatively affected his team, however, as his foul on Kwadwo Asamoah in the 57th minute earned Juve a penalty.

Vidal made no mistake when placing his spot-kick high into the net to give the hosts the lead.

Milan responded brightly with Sulley Muntari and Riccardo Montolivo both testing Buffon.

But the visitors just could not find an equaliser, despite introducing a fourth striker in the shape of Bojan Krkic, and Juve rode out the final throes to edge closer to their 29th domestic title.

Lorenzo Insigne scored deep into injury time to complete a dramatic win Napoli over Cagliari earlier in the afternoon.

Insigne, the 21-year-old striker, struck from just outside the area in the fourth minute of stoppage time to cement Napoli’s claims on an automatic qualification place for next season’s Champions League.

Fourth-placed Fiorentina kept the pressure on with a thrilling 4-3 victory at home to Torino thanks to Romulo’s 86th-minute winner.

It kept La Viola five points ahead of Inter, who got back to winning ways by overcoming Parma 1-0 in the midday match.

Veteran striker Tommaso Rocchi scored the 82nd-minute winner to lift some of the pressure on coach Andrea Stramaccioni.

Serie A

Bologna 1
Gilardino 24;
Sampdoria 1
Sansone 59;

HT: 1-0. Att: 21,000.

Catania 1
Barrientos 69;
Palermo 1
Ilicic 90;

HT: 0-0. Att: 13,000.
Red card: Andujar (C) 90+4.

Fiorentina 4
Cuadrado 8; Aquilani 16; Ljajlic 33; Romulo 86;
Torino 3
Barreto 45; Santana 55; Cerci 77;

HT: 3-1. Att: 24,000.
Red card: Darmani (T) 90.

Juventus 1
Vidal 57 pen;
Milan 0

HT: 0-0. Att: 40,474.

Inter 1
Rocchi 82;
Parma 0

HT: 0-0. Att: 49,000.

Napoli 3
Hamsik 50; Cavani 64; Insigne 90;
Cagliari 2
Ibarbo 18; Sau 70;

HT: 0-1. Att: 38,000.

Roma 1
Destro 51;
Pescara 1
Caprari 14;

HT: 0-1. Att: 40,000.

Siena 0
Chievo 1
Pellissier 45;

HT: 0-1. Att: 9,500.

	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Juventus	33	24	5	4	64	20	77
Napoli	33	19	9	5	61	32	66
Milan	33	17	8	8	56	36	59
Fiorentina	33	17	7	9	62	42	58
Inter	33	16	5	12	51	45	53
Roma	33	15	7	11	64	54	52
Udinese	33	13	12	8	45	39	51
Lazio	33	15	6	12	40	40	51
Catania	33	13	9	11	41	39	48
Cagliari	33	11	9	13	41	52	42
Bologna	33	10	9	14	43	42	39
Parma	33	10	9	14	39	43	39
Chievo	33	11	6	16	33	48	39
Sampdoria	33	10	9	14	38	40	38
Atalanta	33	11	7	15	35	48	38
Torino	33	8	13	12	43	49	36
Siena	33	9	9	15	34	45	30
Palermo	33	5	14	14	30	46	29
Genoa	33	6	11	16	33	51	29
Pescara	33	6	4	23	25	67	22

Top scorers
23 goals: Cavani (Napoli)
18 goals: Di Natale (Udinese)
16 goals: El Shaarawy (Milan)
15 goals: Denis (Atalanta)
14 goals: Lamela (Roma)
13 goals: Pazzini (Milan)

Next fixtures
Saturday: 18.00 Atalanta vs Bologna; Cagliari vs Udinese. 20.45 Pescara vs Napoli.
Sunday: 15.00 Chievo vs Genoa; Palermo vs Inter; Roma vs Siena; Sampdoria vs Fiorentina; Torino vs Juventus. 20.45 Milan vs Catania.
Monday: 20.45 Parma vs Lazio.

Prima Divisione ‘A’
Tritium vs Cremonese 0-2; Portogruaro vs Reggiana 0-1; Carpi vs Cuneo 1-3; Como vs Lumezzane 3-0; Lecce vs FeralpiSalo 3-0; San Marino vs Trapani 0-1; SudTirol vs Entella 3-0; Pavia vs AlbinoLeffe 0-2.

Standings: Trapani 59; Lecce 57; SudTirol 49; Carpi 47; Entella 46; AlbinoLeffe 43; Cremonese, San Marino 42; FeralpiSalo 39; Pavia 37; Lumezzane 36; Cuneo 34; Como 32; Portogruaro 30; Reggiana 28; Tritium 18; Treviso 14.