JUVENTUS will have to keep the champagne on ice, at least for another week. Following this all too predictable draw in this top of the table clash at the Stadio delle Alpi in Turin yesterday, Juventus now need only one point from their two remaining games, away to Atalanta and at home to Lazio, to clinch their 24th Italian title.

This so called championship decider ended in anti climax with both sides settling for a mutually convenient draw long before the end of a long, hot afternoon. Juventus have now won the title in all but mathematical certainty, since they continue to lead Parma by six points. Parma are two points clear of Inter Milan in the battle for second place and a Champions League spot

The result might have been predictable but, for 10 minutes at least, an upset had seemed possible after Parma had struck first, scoring a soft looking 29th minute goal when Frenchman Zinedine Zidane swung wildly at a hardly irresistible corner and deflected the ball into his own net.

That goal had come against the run of play but might have inspired Parma to a famous victory, were it not for a highly controversial penalty awarded to Juventus 10 minutes later. Referee Pierluigi Collina ruled that Parma defender Fabio Cannavaro had fouled Christian Vieri as the Juventus striker tried to get on the end of a Zidane cross.

Slow motion replays of this incident were analysed late into the Italian Sunday night and, in truth, with the benefit of televisual hindsight, the penalty looked debatable. That was certainly the view of the Parma players whose angry protest was outdone only by their coach, Carlo Ancelotti, whose altovoce reflections on the referee's objectivity earned him a sendingoff.

While the Parma players protested, Juventus striker Nicola Amoruso kept his cool and struck home the penalty kick which effectively ended both the match and the 1997 title contest.

Vieri had two headed half chances before the end of the first half and Uruguyan defender Paolo Montero might have wrapped it up for Juventus 18 minutes into the second half.

Even with the injection of three such classy substitutes as Croat striker Alen Boksic, midfielder Antonio Conte and little wizard Alessandro Del Piero, Juventus simply could or would not raise their game the necessary gear.