In Italy , Juventus' 10-point deduction in Serie A guarantees Lazio and Napoli a Champions League spot, leaving five other clubs to compete for the remaining two places.
Juventus fans wave club flags at their home stadium, Allianz Arena. Photo: AFP
With the ruling of the Italian Football Federation's Court of Appeal (FIGC) on May 22nd, Juventus dropped from second to seventh place in Serie A, and face the risk of missing out on European competition next season.
Conversely, Lazio benefited, moving up to second place with 68 points, seven points ahead of fifth-placed Atalanta with two rounds remaining. Therefore, Maurizio Sarri's team is guaranteed a top-four finish and will follow champions Napoli into the Champions League next season.
The remaining two positions in the top 4 and the two remaining Champions League spots will be contested between five clubs. After 36 matches, Juventus is in seventh place with 59 points, behind Roma (60 points), Atalanta (61), Milan (64) and Inter (66).
In that scenario, Inter only needs a draw against Atalanta at home at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium on May 27th to secure a Champions League spot. At that point, the gap between Inter and Atalanta would still be five points, with only one round remaining in Serie A.
Even if Inter lose to Atalanta by one goal, they only need a draw against Torino in the final match to guarantee a top-four finish. Simone Inzaghi's team has a superior goal difference compared to Atalanta (+27 versus +16).
Inter could only drop out of the top four if they lose heavily in both of their final two matches. But even in that case, they could still qualify for next season's Champions League if they beat Man City in the final in Istanbul, Türkiye on June 10th.
After having 10 points deducted, Juventus dropped out of the top 6 and face the risk of not qualifying for European competitions next season. (Image: screenshot)
The match between Milan and Juventus on May 28th is also crucial for the race for the top four. If Milan beat Juventus, they will secure a Champions League spot, and if Inter also get points against Atalanta, Juventus' hopes will be dashed. Therefore, Juventus must defeat Milan to have their fate decided in the final matchday.
Meanwhile, Roma are not highly rated as they face Fiorentina away on May 27th and Spezia at home on June 4th. However, Jose Mourinho's team could secure a Champions League spot through the Europa League – where they will face Sevilla in the final in Budapest, Hungary on May 31st.
In Serie A, the top four teams qualify directly for the Champions League group stage, the fifth-placed club participates in the Europa League group stage, and the sixth-placed team must play in the Europa Conference League play-off round.
Hong Duy
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