Leonardo Bonucci hopes Juventus have learned a valuable lesson after missing their opportunity to win the Serie A title at Roma on Sunday.
Had Massimiliano Allegri’s treble-chasing side avoided defeat at the Stadio Olimpico, they would have clinched a record sixth straight Scudetto.
Instead Roma protected their outside chance of beating Juve to the crown by narrowing the gap to four points with a 3-1 win courtesy of goals from Daniele De Rossi, Stephan El Shaarawy and Radja Nainggolan, with Mario Lemina notching for the Bianconeri.
Juventus will clinch the title if Roma lose at Chievo on Saturday, and irrespective of what the capital club achieve if they beat lowly Crotone on Sunday, but defender Bonucci is not in a relaxed mood.
With a Coppa Italia final against Lazio to worry about in midweek, and the spectre of June’s Champions League final showdown with Real Madrid in Cardiff looming large, he wants total focus from his team-mates.
He told juventus.com: “When you’re close to the finish line, you simply can’t be giving away points like this because you then risk to complicate matters further down the line.
“This defeat must serve as a lesson. We have to rediscover that humility and that desire to run the hard yards and to win football matches.
“The boss was right when he said we weren’t quite at the races in training.
“We could have closed the title race once and for all tonight, but now we head into next Sunday’s match knowing we have to use up a lot of energy again at this crucial stage of the season.”
Lemina gave Juve an early boost with his 21st-minute opener but the men from Turin were nudged off the trophy trail when De Rossi levelled and El Shaarawy turned the game on its head after half-time. Belgian schemer Nainggolan wrapped up the win that restored Romato second place in the table, and there was even a late stoppage-time cameo for the soon-to-retire veteran striker Fran-cesco Totti.
Giallorossi boss Luciano Spalletti knows the Scudetto is all-but gone but demanded his players prove they are worthy competitors to an all-conquering team like Juve.
“We said this ahead of the game: it’s not just the win that counts,” he told asroma.com.
“We wanted to show who we are, to show that we have the determination to change things, and that we can keep on working, believing in our ability to reach our objective sooner or later.
“Even though now it means nothing, there is still that idea in your mind that you may finish second to opponents who have that animal inside their bellies, which comes out every time you play them and shows you who they are.”
Remaining matches
Saturday: 18.00 Chievo vs Roma. 20.45 Napoli vs Fiorentina.
Sunday: 15.00 Juventus vs Crotone.
May 28: 20.45 Bologna vs Juventus; Roma vs Genoa; Sampdoria vs Napoli.