AC Milan Secure Champions League Participation with 1-0 Win over Juventus

With one matchday to go before the Serie A season ends, AC Milan beat Juventus in Turin 1-0 on Sunday (7th) and secured their participation in the group stage of the Serie A on matchday 37. next Champions League, while Lecce managed to stay on the horn.

A solitary goal by Frenchman Oliver Giroud (minute 40) helped the Rossoneri end the day with a six-point lead over Atalanta (5th), who lost 3-2 on Saturday at Inter (3rd).

Although they could not stand up to Napoli and could not defend the Scudetto obtained in 2022, AC Milan has achieved its minimum objective and will participate again in the next Champions League, after having managed to reach the semifinal this season, before being eliminated by their neighbor Nerazzurro (0-2 in the first leg, 0-1 in the second leg).

“We can now enjoy this victory and qualifying (for the next Champions League), but it has been a strange season for various reasons,” acknowledged Milan coach Stefano Pioli.

For its part, Juventus (7th), with 59 points after being penalized 10 units for accounting fraud, suffers a second consecutive defeat that leaves it out of the most prestigious continental competition for the first time in twelve years.

Provisionally in Conference League positions, ‘Juve’ still has options to reach Atalanta (5th, 61 points) and Roma (6th, 60 points) on the last day, being able to qualify for the Europa League.

The Romans can still qualify for the Champions League, but they need to beat Sevilla on Wednesday in the Europa League final.

– Spalletti’s goodbye? –
Champions Naples drew 2-2 in Bologna after going 2-0 ahead with a double by Victor Osimhen, who left the competition’s top scorer title in sight thanks to his 25 goals, four more than the Argentine Lautaro Martínez (Inter).

But the focus in Napoli was on manager Luciano Spalletti, with his future at the club increasingly uncertain. “I make sure to celebrate with the people and the players,” declared the coach on DAZN, who according to the media should leave the team at the end of the season, despite having won the first Napoli Scudetto after a 33-year wait.

Without his departure having been made official yet, the club would already be looking for substitutes. The press is considering the Spanish Luis Enrique and Rafael Benítez and the Italians Vincenzo Italiano and Thiago Motta as the main candidates.

The owner of the club, Aurelio De Laurentiis, declared this Sunday to the program “Che tempo che fa” of Rai3 that Spalletti has requested “a sabbatical year”.

– Hellas Verona and Spezia will play relegation –

In the rest of the matches of the day, Lecce (16th) managed to ensure their permanence in Monza (1-0) thanks to a penalty scored at minute 90+11 by Lorenzo Colombo, a young promise of 21 years.

Still in relegation places, Hellas Verona (18th) drew 1-1 at home against Empoli, reaching 31 points, the same as La Spezia (17th). Both teams will play relegation on the last matchday at the home of AC Milan and Roma respectively.

Lazio beat the already relegated Cremonese 3-2 and got the second position, with two points more than Inter.

^{© Agence France-Presse}