Juve held by Lazio in last home game for Chiellini and Dybala

Rome, May 17 (IANS): Juventus duo Giorgio Chiellini and Paulo Dybala said goodbye to the home fans at Allianz Stadium as the Bianconeri fumbled a 2-0 advantage to settle for a 2-2 draw with Lazio.

Captain Chiellini had announced his departure and hinted at a move to Major League Soccer despite having one year left on his contract, while Dybala will be a free agent in the summer after his negotiations with the club collapsed, and his future is still shrouded in doubt.

Juve had secured fourth place before Monday, so the game turned out to be a more emotional one. Chiellini was subbed off in the 17th minute, a special arrangement to salute his 17 consecutive seasons in the Juve jersey, with the veteran receiving a standing ovation from the crowd, Xinhua reports.

The home side raced into a 2-0 lead in the first half thanks to goals from Dusan Vlahovic and Alvaro Morata, but Lazio fought back through Alex Sandro’s own goal before Sergej Milinkovic-Savic scored the equaliser in the dying minutes. One point was enough for the Aquile to book a spot in next season’s Europa League.

After the final whistle, Dybala, who spent seven years in Turin, burst into tears in the farewell ceremony.

Also on Monday, Sampdoria dominated Fiorentina 4-1.