In the 34th round of Serie A, Juventus was held to a draw by Catania at home despite leading 2-0, a great situation. Piero, who had recovered from injury, scored two goals in the first half, completing a brace. With these two goals, the斑马王子 (Juventus' iconic player) equaled Batistuta's total on the all-time Serie A scorers list, ranking 9th with 184 goals. He became the only highlight in that regrettable match for Juventus. In that game, Piero once again proved that although he is advanced in age, he remains an indispensable figure within the Juventus squad.
A week later, Piero appeared alongside club president Andrea Agnelli at the newly completed stadium and underwent a contract renewal ceremony. When Juventus faced its "black 3 minutes" and the score was equalized, Piero continued his efforts, clearly unwilling to give up. At the 81st minute, Piero took a corner kick from the left side, Matteo Matri headed it back across the box, and Giorgio Chiellini chested it towards the middle of the small penalty area, but the ball hit the post and bounced out. At the 85th minute, Piero made a central pass, Matri sent a diagonal ball with his right foot, and Christian Panucci headed it against the left post and bounced out. At the 88th minute, Cesare collided with Panucci while competing for a header, and the referee awarded Juventus a good free-kick position in the front field. Piero, as always, stood confidently before the ball, becoming the focus of the entire stadium once more. Chievo goalkeeper Sorrentino was very anxious and loudly instructed his players to form a wall, which sufficiently demonstrated how much Sorrentino feared Piero's free-kick prowess.
Apart from scoring the penalty that helped Juventus take the lead, Piero also broke through Chievo's defense alone in the second half and assisted Matri in scoring, helping Juventus achieve their second goal of the match. At the 55th minute, Piero received the ball near the edge of the penalty area, attracting two Chievo defenders. Calmly, Piero skillfully maneuvered the ball to create space and delivered a precise central through-pass, allowing Matri to complete the goal almost unchallenged. Most of the credit for this goal goes to Piero, as Matri mentioned after the game: "Playing with Piero is a pleasure and a privilege; his through-pass was so smooth."
Regrettably, Piero's free-kick slightly cleared the crossbar, prompting sighs from the audience, while the broadcast showed Chievo's goalkeeper Sorrentino exhaling in relief. Although Piero couldn't save the day with his signature free-kick, his contribution of one goal and one assist still deserved respect, as he not only played the full 90 minutes but also fought until the last moment at the age of 36. His professional attitude alone deserves admiration and emulation from younger players.
The technical statistics after the game showed that Piero completed four shots and delivered three key passes in 90 minutes, with a passing success rate of 82%. For someone of 36 years old to perform like this, who could not be impressed? In the post-game rating by Slow Lens, Piero undoubtedly earned the highest marks with 6.5 points, making him the best player of the match. By contrast, the two young princes Marquis and Aquilani scored only 5.5 and 4.5 points respectively. The "old prince" of Juventus remained strong, while the young princes still have a long way to go. Fortunately, they have a role model and guide - Piero!
After scoring, Piero celebrated with his habitual gesture, sticking out his tongue while sprinting and pointing to the sky with his right index finger. Notably, the controversial Aquilani wanted to celebrate with Piero but was left behind as Piero quickly moved away. Although unintentional, it seemed to imply that the "former Roman prince" cannot be compared with the Juventus prince. Even though it was a penalty goal, it carried significant meaning, not only helping Juventus take the lead but also surpassing the retired Batistuta on the list of top Serie A goal scorers, ranking 9th individually. Regarding this penalty, the authoritative media "Turin Sports Daily" praised: "Piero once again explained what greatness means! Piero is truly the leader of Juventus, both in spirit and on the field. Renewing his contract with Juventus was a wise decision. Now he has achieved it, surpassing the war god Batistuta, which will forever be recorded in history."
From the start of the match against Chievo, Piero looked for opportunities in his own territory. His dribbling and passing put pressure on Chievo's right-back Sardo, resulting in Sardo pulling down Pepe inside the penalty area in the 12th minute, earning Juventus a penalty. Piero confidently stepped up to the penalty spot, eyes firm and determined. The ball he shot flew like a cannonball straight to the upper-right corner of the net, leaving Chievo's goalkeeper Sorrentino no time to react.
With the joy of successfully renewing his contract and the victory over Lazio, a direct competitor for Champions League qualification, Piero started in the home game against Chievo. The match turned out to be a replay of the game against Catania two weeks prior: another home game, another 2-0 lead followed by being leveled by a weaker opponent, this time Chivo, with Juventus conceding two goals in just three minutes. Despite this, Piero remained the brightest star of the match. Even though Juventus was held to a draw again and almost lost their chance for next season's Champions League, this match would definitely go down in history because Piero completed his 185th personal goal in Serie A, surpassing the legendary Batistuta.