Penalties deny Primavera

Fabio Grosso called on his players to make a “good season an extraordinary one” on the commencement of their Final Eight campaign just over a week ago and although the Bianconeri succumbed to a 6-5 defeat on penalties (1-1 aet) to Roma this evening in Reggio Emilia in a tightly-contested Scudetto play-off, Grosso’s boys can still look back on an enormously prosperous past nine months.

Juve’s push for a second title of the term following March’s Viareggio Cup triumph began in perfect fashion too at Sassuolo’s Mapei Stadium - the scene of Thursday’s semi-final victory over rivals Torino - Grigoris Kastanos slotting home from the spot on 35 minutes after Pol Lirola’s excellent surge to the byline.

Ending the half on top, the Girone A winners would even have entered the break two goals to the good had Claudio Zappa’s stinging shot not cannoned back off the bar with Giallorossi keeper Lorenzo Crisanto well beaten.

Unfortunately however, the next chance would fall to Roma’s Ezequiel Ponce just moments after the restart who made no mistake in sliding the ball past Emil Audero to level the scores.

Juventus’ stopper would not be disheartened and made two fine saves to keep his team in the game, the pick of which coming from Emanuele Ndoj’s curling shot from the edge of the box just before the hour mark.

As legs began to tire, the season’s showpiece drifted inevitably towards penalties and sure enough, it was there that the fate of the 2015/16 Primavera Scudetto title would be decided.

With the shootout first lurching in Roma’s direction after Guido Vadalà’s slip with the scores at 1-1 and then in Juve’s as Riccardo Marchizza sent a potentially decisive kick wide at 4-4, the drama would extend to sudden death.

Andrea Favilli’s miss immediately afterwards however allowed Giallorossi defender Lorenzo Grossi to seal the Scudetto for Roma with the 14th kick of a heart-stopping shootout and deny the Bianconeri in the cruelest of fashion.

ROMA-JUVENTUS 6-5  on penalties (1-1 aet.) 

GOALS**: 36’ Kastanos, 47' Ponce.