Serie A Champions League race set for final-day showdown

ROME: Juventus head into Sunday’s Turin derby under mounting pressure, with their bid to qualify for next season’s Champions League hanging in the balance as the Serie A campaign reaches its final round.

Juventus had appeared on course for a top-four finish, but a 2-0 home defeat to Fiorentina has left Luciano Spalletti’s side in sixth place. Even if Juve beat Torino, they still need results elsewhere to go their way.

Spalletti was appointed in October when Juventus were seventh, with the club’s main target for the season being Champions League qualification. Missing out on Europe’s top club competition would also affect the club’s finances and its room for manoeuvre in the close season.

Juventus face a derby opponent they have not lost to in 11 years, but Torino are still expected to provide a stern test despite sitting in mid-table. Torino’s league position does not fully reflect their ability to trouble stronger sides.

Top-four battle remains tight

Only two points separate Juventus from fourth-placed Roma, who travel to already relegated Verona. AC Milan are third before their home match against Cagliari at San Siro, while fifth-placed Como are also in contention as they prepare to host Cremonese.

That fixture could also influence the relegation battle. Cremonese, with Jamie Vardy in their ranks, are just inside the drop zone and sit one point behind Lecce, who host Genoa. Pisa and Verona are also mentioned in the report in connection with the fight to avoid relegation to Serie B.

Milan go into the final weekend in a stronger position after a key win at Genoa last weekend. That result left the seven-time European champions in pole position to secure a return to the Champions League after a period of poor form.

Cagliari, Milan’s final opponents, secured their top-flight safety last weekend. More than 70,000 supporters are expected at San Siro, creating a very different atmosphere from Milan’s previous home outing, when fans left the stands in protest after their team fell three goals behind against Atalanta.

The Atalanta defeat prompted Milan owner Gerry Cardinale to publicly defend himself against criticism from supporters who accused him of prioritising profits over results on the pitch. It also said major changes are expected at the club this summer.

Napoli and Italy coaching focus

Elsewhere, Antonio Conte is set to oversee what is expected to be his final Napoli match when Udinese visit Naples in one of five fixtures with nothing riding on them. Napoli sealed Champions League qualification last weekend.

Conte is widely expected to leave Napoli and return for a second spell in charge of Italy’s national team. However, the identity of the new Italy coach will only be announced after the election of a new football federation president on June 22, which comes a couple of weeks after friendlies against Luxembourg and Greece.

Modric in line for return

The player to watch, is Luka Modric. The Milan midfielder had been expected to miss the rest of the Serie A season after suffering a fractured cheekbone in a clash of heads with Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli last month.

But less than a month after surgery, Modric is now close to returning and is near-certain to start against Cagliari. The Croatia captain has trained this week wearing a face mask and, barring any setback, is expected to be included in Massimiliano Allegri’s starting XI at San Siro.

Modric has the option of staying at Milan for another season after what is expected to be the 40-year-old’s final World Cup.