A hat trick moved Ciro Immobile within three goals of overtaking Gonzalo Higuain’s single-season record for Serie A with two matches remaining.
Immobile netted two penalties and also scored a magnificent strike in Lazio's 5-1 win at Hellas Verona on Sunday. He now has 34 goals in 34 matches — four more than Cristiano Ronaldo atop the Italian league’s scoring chart.
Higuain scored 36 for Napoli in 2015-16.
Roma's Lorenzo Pellegrini, left, and Fiorentina's Alfred Duncan challenge for the ball during the Serie A soccer match between Roma and Fiorentina, at the Rome Olympic Stadium, Sunday, July 26, 2020. (AP PhotoRiccardo De Luca)
Immobile’s second goal of the night was a thing of beauty: Set up by Jordan Lukaku on the left flank, he curled a shot into the far top corner.
Lazio moved level on points with third-place Atalanta, one point behind Inter Milan.
Juventus, which is five points ahead of Lazio, can clinch a record-extending ninth straight title with a win over Sampdoria later Sunday.
OTHER RESULTS
Roma increased its grip on fifth place by beating Fiorentina 2-1 with two penalties from Jordan Veretout.
Udinese won 1-0 at Cagliari and secured a 26th straight season in the top flight.
Lecce remained in the relegation zone after conceding a stoppage-time decider from Musa Barrow in a 3-2 loss at Bologna.
Also, Torino was held 1-1 at already-relegated Spal.
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Federico Bernardeschi scored against his former club as Juventus beat Fiorentina 2-0 on Wednesday to set up an Italian Cup final against Inter Milan.
After Fiorentina goalkeeper Bartłomiej Drągowski failed to intercept a cross, Bernardeschi controlled the ball with his chest then volleyed in shortly after the half-hour mark.
Danilo sealed it in stoppage time after being set up by Juan Cuadrado.
Juventus' Matthijs de Ligt, left, and Fiorentina's Nicolas Gonzalez battle for the ball during the Italian Cup semifinal soccer match between Juventus and ACF Fiorentina at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy, Wednesday, April 20, 2022. (Marco AlpozziLaPresse via AP)
Aiming to defend its title, Juventus advanced on 3-0 aggregate.
Defending Serie A champion Inter beat city rival AC Milan 3-0 on Tuesday to advance.
Juventus has won the Italian Cup a record 14 times, while Inter has seven trophies in the competition — the last from 2011.
Juventus' Adrien Rabiot, right, and Fiorentina's Jonathan Ikone battle for the ball during the Italian Cup semifinal soccer match between Juventus and ACF Fiorentina at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy, Wednesday, April 20, 2022. (Marco AlpozziLaPresse via AP)
The final is scheduled for May 11.
Juventus also had a goal from Adrien Rabiot wiped off for offside following a VAR check.
SALERNITANA SUCCESS
An injury-time winner earned Salernitana a 1-0 win at Udinese in Serie A, keeping the southern club’s hopes of avoiding relegation alive.
Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic, left, and Fiorentina's Alfred Duncan battle for the ball during the Italian Cup semifinal soccer match between Juventus and ACF Fiorentina at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy, Wednesday, April 20, 2022. (Marco AlpozziLaPresse via AP)
Having won at Sampdoria on Saturday, it marked the first time this season that Salernitana posted consecutive victories.
Substitute Simone Verdi finished off a counterattack three minutes into stoppage time.
The bottom three clubs — Venezia, Salernitana and Genoa — are now level on points, each six points from safety.
Juventus' Matthijs de Ligt, left, and Fiorentina's Arthur Cabral battle for the ball during the Italian Cup semifinal soccer match between Juventus and ACF Fiorentina at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy, Wednesday, April 20, 2022. (Marco AlpozziLaPresse via AP)
The match was postponed four months ago amid a coronavirus outbreak within Salernitana’s squad.
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