Juventus Crowned 2014-15 Serie A Champions After Victory at Sampdoria

Juventus claimed a fourth consecutive Serie A title with a 1-0 win at Sampdoria on Saturday.

Arturo Vidal scored at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris to hand the Old Lady a 31st Scudetto crown with four games still to play in the league season.  

The win puts Juve 17 points clear of second-placed Lazio, and although the Biancocelesti still have five games remaining—they face Atalanta on Sunday—the deficit is now insurmountable.

The news was reported by ESPN FC:

There were no Juventus supporters at the stadium in Genoa to celebrate the title victory after the club were sanctioned following trouble at the recent Turin derby, per a statement from Serie A (via Ben Gladwell of ESPN FC).

It always looked to be simply a matter of time before Juve were crowned champions, with early challengers Roma having dropped off dramatically since the turn of the year.

A 3-2 victory over Fiorentina on Wednesday moved them within touching distance, and Saturday's win confirmed Juve as title winners in Massimiliano Allegri's first season in charge at the club.

Juventus have been immense in Serie A this season, losing just three matches and dropping just four points at home—draws against Inter Milan and Sampdoria.

On Allegri's appointment as Antonio Conte's replacement last summer, Juve fans were unhappy, per beIN Sports USA:

But the 47-year-old has proved his doubters wrong by easing Juve to the title this season.

Furthermore, Juventus have qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time in 12 years. They are set to play the first leg of their last-four tie against defending champions Real Madrid on Tuesday.

By winning the title with games to spare, Allegri can now rest key players, potentially giving Juve a better chance of winning a third European Cup this year.