AC Milan secured a Champions League ticket next season by beating hosts Juventus with a score of 1-0 through a goal from Olivier Giroud while ensuring a top-four finish in Serie A on Sunday.
Fourth-placed AC Milan with 67 points have a six-point lead over fifth-placed Atalanta heading into the final round of fixtures, while Juventus sit seventh with 59 points.
Milan joined Inter and Lazio in next season’s Champions League by finishing in the top four along with Serie A champions Napoli.
There is still the possibility of five Italian teams competing next season if AS Roma beat Sevilla in the Europa League final on Wednesday.
Milan manager Stefano Pioli expressed his relief that his team had finally confirmed their participation in Europe’s elite club competition.
“Obviously the Champions League gave us more than we expected and then we were sad to go out in the semi-final against Inter but our journey there was more than anyone has seen,” Pioli told DAZN as quoted by ESPN.
“At the same time, we didn’t do as expected in Serie A, but we are in the Champions League for the third season in a row, I don’t know how many years it has been since that.”
Juventus, who dropped 10 points on Monday by an Italian football tribunal in a case centered on their transfer dealings, started the game aggressively, knowing that only a win would be enough to sustain their hopes of a top-four finish.
Massimiliano Allegri made changes to his first team as the club’s top scorer Dusan Vlahovic was out with a thigh injury, but the Juve coach admitted after the game that their season ended with a Europa League defeat to Sevilla.
“It’s sad to say, but our season ends in Seville. That’s where we run out of mental energy,” said Allegri. “It’s been an unusual season, the team has 69 points, so we have to be proud and grateful for what they did.”
Angel Di Maria almost gave the hosts the lead midway through the first half when he collected a cross from Moise Kean near the penalty spot but fired wide.
Milan took the lead five minutes before halftime when Giroud headed home in the box.
In stoppage time, Danilo almost equalized for the hosts, but his close range volley was stopped on the goal line by Milan’s Pierre Kalulu.
When a tired looking Juventus team failed to find an equaliser, the match ended in jeers from the home fans.
With one game remaining in Udinese next Sunday, Allegri said the season could not end soon for his exhausted squad.
“The main thing now is to rest, the sooner the better,” said Allegri. “After the Udinese game, we have to evaluate calmly and realize there are good foundations. Not everything has to be thrown away.”
