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Juventus will play in the Champions League next season after seeing off Bologna 4-1 as Napoli are held at home to Hellas Verona in a dramatic season finale in Serie A.
Even without Cristiano Ronaldo, the Bianconeri cruised to a comfortable victory. A brace from Alvaro Morata, coupled with goals from Federico Chiesa and Adrien Rabiot, was enough to get the job done.
Riccardo Orsolini pulled one consolation strike back for the home side, who'd already secured safety and finished 12th in the league table. But the Rossoblù were thoroughly outclassed on the night.
Here are the major talking points from the match:
#1 Juventus play like champions again
For the first and last time this season, Juventus looked like the side which romped to nine consecutive Scudettos. The dethroned champions hit all the right notes on a balmy night in Bologna.
Contrary to their tepid, unidimensional kneading of the ball and lack of creativity, the Bianconeri tore the hosts asunder with quick, tiki-taka-style passing. They quickly raced to an unassailable 3-0 lead before the break.
A similarly frantic restart saw Morata bag their fourth on the night in the 47th minute. Goalkeeper Wojceich Szczesny found the striker with a superb, looping cross from range as Juventus put the contest to bed long before the full-time whistle.
The best part was that Ronaldo was not even needed tonight. Such a performance on more occasions this season might as well have won them a tenth consecutive Scudetto. It's time for an inquest now.
#2 Bologna leave it too late
Juventus took their foot off the gas after Morata scored the fourth goal. That allowed Bologna to find their feet in the game as Sinisa Mihajlovic's side attempted to catch their mighty visitors on the break.
Most of Bologna's counter-attacks either lacked the final ball or the Bianconeri just closed down well. But their persistence paid off when Rodrigo Palacio's cross into the six-yard box found Orsolini, who slotted the ball home from a tight angle.
The breakthrough seemed to have spurred Rossoblu on. They ran at Juventus with confidence and pushed them on the backfoot for the final few minutes of the game, though it was a case of too little too late.
#3 Juventus should tie down Morata on a permanent deal
Alvaro Morata should've never left Juventus. Although he was on loan during his first spell too and Real Madrid recalled him, the Bianconeri never attempted to sign him permanently. This is a mistake they should avoid this time.
The Spaniard capped off another successful spell in Turin with two more goal. He finished the campaign with 11 in the league overall, the most in their squad after Cristiano Ronaldo.
There were times when he was inconsistent, but Morata looked largely like a player reborn. He was sharp in the attack, forging a deadly partnership with the Portuguese, his former Los Blancos teammate.
With a buyout clause of €45 million, the Bianconeri would hesitate to spend such a hefty sum given their losses since last year. So if a permanent deal isn't on the table, then extending his stay for another year would be wise.
Morata and Juventus are a match made in heaven.
#4 Juventus secure Champions League football
Juventus' title defense has been catastrophic this season. So much so that not only did they relinquish their crown in limp fashion, but they also needed a big piece of fortune on the final day to qualify for the Champions League. Andrea Pirlo's fallen champions entered tonight's contest in fifth place, a point off Napoli.
However, the stars were completely aligned in their favor. The Bianconeri not only romped to a comprehensive victory, but the Partenopei could only muster a 1-1 draw to Hellas Verona in Naples. This meant they dropped into the Europa League as the former climbed into fourth place.
It's like icing on the cake for them, having also clinched the Coppa Italia last week after beating Atalanta. But Juventus will know how low they've fallen this season and must start rebuilding for next season already, with or without Pirlo.
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo going to stay at Juventus?
The 36-year old ace was conspicuous by his absence tonight as Pirlo named him on the substitutes bench but didn't sub him on. He was given a much-needed rest after what's been another prolific campaign, netting 29 times to seal his first-ever Serie A Golden Boot.
However, the question on everyone's lips before tonight's kick-off was, would Ronaldo stay on if Juventus failed to qualify for the Champions League? Although the club achieved their objective, there's still a shred of doubt about the Portuguese's future in Turin.
He was a standout performer for them and in the whole of the Italian top-flight, but another European heartbreak this year saw him draw a lot of flak. Ronaldo has now registered the worst league finish of his career, having never dropped below top-three places with any of his side before.
With the all-important Euros lurking around the corner, he'd obviously turn his attention to striking gold with Portugal. But his future will continue to be a hot topic all the while. Let's see what the summer holds.
