Juve keep Champions League hopes alive

Juventus brushed off an attack on their team bus by their own fans to beat Atalanta 2-1 at Turin’s Stadio Olimpico on Sunday and keep alive their hopes of a top four finish.

And it was one of the fans’ favourite betes noirs, Brazil midfielder Felipe Melo, who grabbed the winning goal eight minutes from time.

It was a rare bright moment for Juve’s players in a trying season and on a troubling day that began with them coming under attack.

As the team boarded their bus from the hotel they stay at on the night before games, they came under fire from a hail of beer bottles and eggs.

Fans, disgruntled at the team’s dire form this season, also tried to prevent the bus from leaving and the police had to intervene to allow Juve’s players to escape unscathed.

Before the barrage of missiles, fans had hurled abuse at the team, singling out in particular three players: Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro, French full-back Jonathan Zebina and Melo while Sky TV images showed Zebina was struck on the neck by a man as he went to board the bus. Serie A league table

But the day ended well as Juve closed to within three points of fourth-placed Palermo with a crucial victory.

Given they still have to travel to AC and Inter Milan before the end of the season, Juve know they must win their home games to stand a chance of earning a spot in next season’s Champions League.

And evergreen forward Alessandro Del Piero gave them an undeserved lead on the half hour mark with a brilliant trademark free-kick into the top corner from 25 yards.

But on the stroke of half-time former Juve forward Nicola Amoruso equalised after the home side’s defence were caught napping by a ball over the top, allowing Amoruso to slip a shot past goalkeeper Alex Manninger.

Melo saved his team-mates from more abuse – they had been met by a wall of silence at kick-off and were roundly jeered following the equaliser – when he met Del Piero’s cross at the back post and sent a looping header back across goal and in.

Having arrived as a major summer signing, Melo is widely considered by fans to have been the worst of the team’s flops this season and he curiously was seen to be apologising to fans following his goal.

Juve are sixth after Napoli beat Catania 1-0 at home thanks to a goal from Paolo Cannavaro, Fabio’s younger brother, six minutes into the second period to go fifth.

But Sampdoria’s 1-1 draw at home to Cagliari left them in seventh, only behind Juve and Napoli on head-to-head records.

Milan host Lazio in the day’s late game knowing that victory will take them to within a point of leaders Inter, who lost 2-1 at AS Roma on Saturday.