Champions League: Napoli qualifies, Milan and Roma sprint, Juve collapses

Five cities, five fans, only one definitive verdict. The high noon of Serie A, entirely dedicated to sprint to the Champions League Leagueended with several twists and a few surprises.

Pisa-Naples

A Pisathe fans of Napoli they breathed a big sigh of relief after a journey of over 500 kilometers to support the team in its last real effort of the season. The Azzurri won easily in an away match that was only apparently obvious, thanks to goals from McTominay, Rrahmani and Hojlund, thus securing their definitive ticket to the next Champions League. The closing of the championship with Udinese next week will be just a catwalk to pay homage to the players and Antonio Conte.

Juve-Fiorentina

A Torinoblack and white side, the image is instead that of an entire stadium whistling as the players leave the pitch. There Juventus he just lost one of those games he had to win at all costs, and it’s not the first time this has happened in the last eight months. There Fiorentinathe historic rival of the Bianconeri, took on the role of privateer and, thanks to goals from Ndour and Mandragora, pushed Spalletti’s team to sixth place, reducing their hopes of accessing the top four places in the table to a minimum. The care of Certaldo’s coach has not cured a patient who continues to make the same mistakes and who, barring any big surprises, will have to start again from the Europa League. On the final day, a victory against Torino in the Mole derby could only be a small consolation in a more than disappointing season.

The derby in Rome

A Romahowever, the noise of the Olympic Stadium shattered every decibel. The Friedkin team, thanks to a brace from Mancini, dominated the match Lazio in a historyless derby making a decisive move towards winning a place in the top European competition 2026-2027. The image that remains is that of the team all lined up, in a circle, around Gasperini, in the center of the stadium, after the referee’s final whistle. The coach wanted to maintain high concentration despite today’s feat: in fact, there remains one last effort to make, against Verona, to celebrate and close the circle. In the meantime, however, at least for today, the capital will be dressed in yellow and red.

Genoa-Milan

A GenovaMax Allegri had to wait 11 minutes of added time to turn towards his collaborators, hug them, and shake off the criticism and frustration of recent weeks. The Milan suffers but beats Genoa 2-1 thanks to goals from Nkunku and Athekame, returns third in the standings and, like Roma, earns a Champions League ‘match point’ at home against Cagliari. The limitations of the game remain evident, but the Rossoneri have put their destiny back in their hands. And then there is Como. On the shores of the lake the desire to dream is still intact. Fabregas’ team narrowly beat Parma (1-0) remaining hooked to the train that leads straight to the top levels of European football. He will try all the way, hoping for a gift from others on the last day, when he will challenge Cremonese in a very delicate match: a Lombard derby that could oscillate between the paradise of the Champions League and the hell of relegation, with enormous stakes for both.