Four clubs, two CL places in Italy
With one round remaining in the Italian league, the battle for CL qualification has narrowed into a brutal final-day showdown involving four clubs separated by just two points. Let’s take a closer look at which four teams are hoping to grab the remaining CL spots in the Italian league!
AC Milan and AS Roma currently occupy third and fourth place on 70 points, but both remain under pressure from Como 1907 and Juventus, who sit two points further back on 68.
At the top, Inter have long since secured qualification, while Napoli guaranteed their return to Europe’s elite with a commanding 3-0 victory away to Pisa last weekend. The real drama now lies beneath them.
Roma arrive with momentum
No side among the contenders heads into the final weekend in better form than Roma. Their 2-0 Derby della Capitale victory over Lazio was not only emotionally significant, but potentially decisive in the race for the top four. Gasperini’s side have quietly built momentum during the closing weeks of the campaign, combining defensive control with the kind of resilience that had been missing earlier in the season.
Roma now travel to Verona knowing victory would almost certainly secure CL football. The timing of their surge could hardly have been better.
While others around them have stumbled under pressure, Roma have increasingly looked like a side growing in confidence. The Olimpico atmosphere after the Lazio win felt less like relief and more like belief.
Still, Verona away is hardly a formality. The closing weeks of the Italian league have repeatedly shown how dangerous supposedly “safe” or mid-table sides can become once pressure disappears. Roma may hold the advantage, but there is little room for error.
Milan survive another scare
Milan’s season continues to swing wildly between control and chaos. The Rossoneri secured a 2-1 victory against Genoa that preserved their position inside the top four. It was a result they desperately needed after weeks of inconsistency had dragged them back into danger.
Now comes a home meeting with Cagliari at San Siro, a fixture Milan would normally expect to win comfortably, but one that will carry enormous psychological weight.
The pressure surrounding the club has intensified dramatically in recent weeks. Questions around the squad’s mentality, tactical balance, and ability to handle decisive moments have only grown louder as the finish line approaches. Yet Milan still control their own destiny.
Win against Cagliari, and the anxiety disappears instantly. Anything less, however, could reopen the door for both Como and Juventus.
Como refuse to fade away
What once looked like a remarkable outsider story has become a genuine CL challenge.
Como’s 1-0 victory over Parma ensured Cesc Fàbregas’ side remain firmly alive heading into the final weekend, continuing one of the most astonishing campaigns in recent league history.
Two seasons ago, the club were nowhere near this conversation. Now, they enter the final round with a realistic chance of finishing inside Italy’s top four.
The situation remains straightforward: Como almost certainly need victory away to Cremonese and help elsewhere.
But regardless of what happens next, their transformation has already become one of the stories of the European season. Organized, fearless, and tactically mature far beyond expectations, Como have consistently punished bigger clubs that failed to take them seriously.
There is no pressure on them compared to the traditional giants around them, and that freedom could make them dangerous once again.
Juventus facing uncomfortable questions
The pressure, meanwhile, is suffocating at Juventus. Their 2-0 home defeat against Fiorentina could hardly have arrived at a worse moment and leaves the Bianconeri outside the CL places heading into the final day.
For large parts of the season, Juventus appeared favourites to comfortably secure a top-four finish. Instead, they now travel to Torino needing both a victory and favours elsewhere.
More concerning than the table itself is the manner of their collapse. The defeat to Fiorentina exposed the same issues that have repeatedly undermined Juventus this season: a lack of creativity, growing tension inside matches, and an inability to respond when momentum turns against them. While Roma arrive full of confidence and Como continue to play without fear, Juventus suddenly look burdened by expectation.
Missing out on CL qualification would represent a major sporting and financial failure for the club. And with one game remaining, their fate is no longer entirely in their own hands.
One final night
This final round now promises one of the most dramatic conclusions anywhere in Europe.
Milan and Roma remain favourites, but neither can afford complacency. Como are still dreaming, while Juventus are desperately trying to prevent a disastrous ending to the season.
By Sunday night, two clubs will have secured a place among Europe’s elite. For the other two, the summer will begin with disappointment — and uncomfortable questions.
Please note that the odds might have changed since the writing and/or publication of this article.
Last updated: 22.05.26
