Serie A's Champions League Race Intensifies in Final Stretch
Serie A·13 May 2026·45d ago

Serie A's Champions League Race Intensifies in Final Stretch

Source: Cult of Calcio

With three matches remaining in the 2025/26 Serie A season, five clubs are locked in a battle for the three remaining Champions League spots. Napoli hold a six-point cushion in fifth place and are considered favourites to secure qualification, while Milan and Juventus occupy the top four but face mounting pressure. Roma sit just one point behind fourth-placed Juventus and have momentum on their side, winning three of their last four league games.

Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma appear well-positioned to challenge for a top-four finish for the first time since 2017/18. Their remaining fixtures—Parma, the Derby della Capitale against Lazio, and Verona—are considered manageable, though they depend partly on results elsewhere. Como remain in contention three points behind Juventus despite recent struggles. Juventus, despite an unbeaten run of nine games, drew with already-relegated Verona last weekend, leaving their qualification hopes fragile with matches against Lecce, Fiorentina, and Torino remaining.

Napoli must navigate a tricky schedule featuring Bologna, Pisa, and Udinese, though two of those matches come at home. Milan have hit a rough patch with three defeats in their last five, though fixtures against Atalanta, Genoa, and Cagliari offer recovery opportunities. The title was already won by Inter last weekend.

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Italy: SS Lazio vs CFC Genoa - Serie A, Official Logo Serie A before the Italian Serie A football match between SS Lazio and Genoa CFC at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, on september 29, 2019. Photo by Silvia Lor/Sipa USA ACHTUNG: NUR REDAKTIONELLE NUTZUNG, KEINE ARCHIVIERUNG UND KEINE BUCHNUTZUNG Rome Italy PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xSilviaxLorx 20190930001423132008 Inter won the Scudetto last weekend, but the final stage of the 2025/26 Serie A season promises plenty of drama. With only three games left to play, five sides remain deeply embroiled in a breathless race for the three remaining Champions League spots.Last season’s champions, Napoli, sit in pole position to finish as the “best of the rest,” holding a six-point cushion over fifth-placed Roma. However, Antonio Conte knows better than to take anything for granted. Milan and Juventus head into the last three rounds in the top four, but frantically looking over their shoulders, with sixth-placed Como breathing down their necks.Many leading bookmakers consider Napoli strong favourites to secure a top-four finish, with Milan emerging as another ‘safe’ bet despite their late-season collapse. Meanwhile, this Polymarket promo code offer with eligibility requirements explained has also drawn interest in broader betting and prediction market discussions.With Roma sitting just a point adrift of fourth-placed Juventus, Gian Piero Gasperini remains confident of guiding the Giallorossi to the Champions League for the first time since the 2017/18 season. Still, Roma must defy the odds to leapfrog the record-time Italian champions down the final stretch, with Como lurking in the shadows.NapoliThree points in the season finale will seal the deal for Napoli. However, they face a tricky schedule, with Bologna, Pisa, and Udinese standing in their way. Yet, with two of those three matches coming at the Diego Maradona Stadium, it’s virtually impossible to imagine the Partenopei failing to dine at Europe’s top table next term.The upcoming home clash against out-of-sorts Bologna could be an ideal opportunity for Conte’s side to bounce back from a patchy four-game run in Serie A (W1, D2, L1) and secure a coveted top-four spot. It would be a fitting farewell gift from the former Juventus and Inter boss, who is facing an uncertain future in Naples.MilanEven without the distraction of European football, Milan have failed to mount a serious title challenge. Despite keeping his team in the top four for the best part of his second stint at San Siro, Massimiliano Allegri is still at risk of missing out on a top-four finish, with the Rossoneri hitting a rough patch at the worst moment.Three defeats from their last five league outings have significantly compromised Milan’s Champions League ambitions, allowing Roma to reduce the gap to only three points. Desperate to recover from last weekend’s fiasco at Sassuolo, they’ll face Atalanta this weekend on home turf.While that could prove to be a daunting task, matches against bottom-half Genoa and Cagliari in the last two rounds should offer them a favorable opportunity to collect the points they need.JuventusDespite going unbeaten in their last nine league games (W5, D4), Juventus’ top-four hopes are hanging by a thread. Luciano Spalletti’s side shared the spoils with already-relegated Hellas Verona last weekend, casting further doubt on their lofty aspirations.The margin for error is thin as they take on Lecce, Fiorentina, and Torino in their final three games. Needless to say, anything other than a win at Stadio Via del Mare this weekend would seriously damage their chances of securing Champions League qualification.RomaGasperini’s men have thrived in these high-octane moments, winning three of their last four league games (D1) to massively bolster their top-four charge. Though they need results elsewhere to go their way, Roma appear to be perfectly capable of holding up their end of the bargain.Except for a mouth-watering Derby della Capitale against Lazio, the Giallorossi have two relatively routine tasks waiting in the wings, as they face Parma and Verona on either side of this Serie A blockbuster.ComoComo squandered a giant opportunity to close the gap on Juventus last weekend, with Napoli holding Cesc Fabregas’ side to a goalless draw at the Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium. That result forms part of an underwhelming five-game sequence for the Lariani (W1, D1, L3), keeping them three points behind the Bianconeri.However, their top-four quest is not over yet, especially considering they face Verona, Parma, and Cremonese in the last three rounds. Follow us on Google News for more updates on Serie A and Italian football Related posts: Fiorentina Zeroing in on Maurizio Sarri Ahead of Next Season Suarez Recounts Juventus Talks in Leaked Interrogation on Bogus Test Malmo vs Juventus Preview and Expected Lineups – UCL Round 1 Italy’s Coaching Strategies: Internal Pressures vs External Pressures

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