AC Milan secured their place in next season’s UEFA Champions League with a 1-0 win over Juventus in Turin.
Olivier Giroud’s superb header from David Calabria’s cross in the 40th minute was the only goal of the match. The win guaranteed Milan at least fourth place in Serie A and completed Italy’s squad for the Champions League alongside Inter Milan, Lazio and Napoli.
The match itself was uncertain, with little of note apart from Giroud’s decisive goal. Milan’s solid defense kept Juventus at bay, forcing them to speculate from distance. Although Juventus can still qualify for the Europa League, their seventh position and a 10-point deduction for illegal transfer activity leaves them in a precarious position.
Elsewhere in Serie A, Lecce secured survival against Monza in dramatic fashion with a late penalty. Lorenzo Colombo scored from the spot-kick in the 11th minute of stoppage time to secure a 1-0 victory and secure Serie A status for Lecce. Verona’s battle for survival would go down to the final day, as they drew 1-1 in a gut-wrenching encounter with Empoli.
In another match, Napoli squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Bologna. Victor Osimhan’s brace was not enough for the newly crowned champions as Bologna fought back to salvage a point. Lazio secured second place with a 3-2 victory over relegated Cremonese thanks to a late winner from Serge Mlincoc-Civic.
For AC Milan, victory against Juventus was crucial to secure Champions League football for the third season in a row. It was a significant achievement for the club, both financially and in terms of rebuilding its reputation in Europe after a long absence from competition.
Despite a disappointing domestic campaign last season, Milan are now looking forward to competing among Europe’s elite clubs once again.