AC Milan and Juventus strengthen Champions League qualification push in Serie A

ROME: AC Milan and Juventus moved closer to securing places in next season's Champions League after registering wins over Verona and Bologna respectively in Serie A on Sunday.

Milan beat Verona 1-0, while Juventus overcame Bologna 2-0, with both sides benefiting from results elsewhere. Como suffered an unexpected defeat at Sassuolo on Friday and Roma were held to a draw by Atalanta on Saturday night, leaving Milan and Juve in strong positions with five matches left in the campaign.

Adrien Rabiot scored the only goal in Milan's win, helping his side open an eight-point advantage over fifth-placed Como and sixth-placed Roma. Juventus, meanwhile, sit fourth and are three points behind Milan, who are in second place.

Rabiot, the France midfielder, struck his sixth league goal of the season after winning the ball in midfield and combining with Rafael Leao before finishing calmly. The match itself offered few notable moments beyond the goal.

'The important thing is winning and getting the points we need to achieve our objectives, but we made a lot of mistakes today. We could have played a lot better,' said Rabiot. 'We need to stay focussed on qualifying for the Champions League.'

Milan have not played in Europe this season following a disastrous previous campaign, which resulted in Massimiliano Allegri returning as coach last summer. Allegri said on Friday that he had already begun planning for next season with the club's management, and after the win he again dismissed the possibility of taking over the vacant Italy job.

'No-one has contacted me (from the Italian Football Federation), and all my thoughts are on Milan: we've started something together and we'll continue it together,' said Allegri.

Juventus beat Bologna as Verona edge closer to relegation

Verona's fifth consecutive defeat left the club on the brink of relegation. Paolo Sammarco's team are bottom of the table and 10 points behind Cremonese, who are just outside the relegation zone after drawing 0-0 at Torino earlier in the day.

Juventus defeated Bologna through headed goals in each half from Jonathan David and Khephren Thuram. The result moved Juve nearer to the target set for Luciano Spalletti when he was appointed in October following Igor Tudor's dismissal.

David opened the scoring with a glancing header from Pierre Kalulu's cross. It was his first goal for the club since the beginning of February. The goal came shortly after a pre-match tribute to former Juventus goalkeeper Alexander Manninger, who died on Thursday at the age of 48 after his car was hit by a train.

Manninger, who made 40 appearances for Juventus between 2008 and 2012, was honoured by supporters, who applauded and chanted his name after Gianluigi Buffon, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini carried flowers onto the pitch in tribute to their former teammate.

Thuram added Juventus' second in the 57th minute, heading in from another accurate cross, this time delivered by Weston McKennie. It was his fourth goal of the season.

'We're on the right track. Every time we play I see something new from my players, all I can do is compliment them,' said Spalletti.

Bologna remain eighth and are now 10 points adrift of the European qualification places. They created little against Juventus, although Jonathan Rowe came close to reducing the deficit soon after Thuram's goal when he struck Nadir Zortea's low cross against the post from close range.