Champions League qualifcation & relegation battle goes down to final weekend in Serie A

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/juventus-C06aJvIB/torino-MZFZnvX4/?mid=Yw2qYnof"]In one of Europe's most one-sided derbies[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/juventus/C06aJvIB/"]Juve[/a] have not lost to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/torino/MZFZnvX4/"]Torino[/a] in 11 years but the pressure is on for a victory over their local rivals whose mid-table position in Italy's top flight does not reflect their ability to make things difficult for the big guns.[/p][p]Juve had looked set for a top-four finish but a damaging 2-0 home defeat to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fiorentina/Q3A3IbXH/"]Fiorentina[/a] has left [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/spalletti-luciano/n3dg3lHR/"]Luciano Spalletti[/a]'s team sixth and needing a helping hand to reach the Champions League even with a win over Torino.[/p][p]Spalletti was hired in October with Juve in seventh to ensure the club's objective for the season, and missing out on Champions League money will have a big impact on movements in the close season.[/p][p]Two points separate Juve from fourth-placed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/as-roma/zVqqL0ma/"]Roma[/a], who head to relegated [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/verona/rJVAIaHo/"]Verona[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ac-milan/8Sa8HInO/"]AC Milan[/a] who sit third ahead of their match with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cagliari/SCGVmKHb/"]Cagliari[/a] at the San Siro.[/p][p]Also in Juve's way are fifth-placed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/como/ttyLthOA/"]Como[/a], who [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/como-ttyLthOA/cremonese-KUzfp5N3/?mid=tMbNSi9E"]host[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cremonese/KUzfp5N3/"]Cremonese[/a] in a match which will have a say in both the Champions League race and who will go down to Serie B with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/pisa/roasMsOT/"]Pisa[/a] and Verona.[/p][embed guid="0aae3cea-9f56-4da8-990a-de4e4ccb71cd" url="https://x.com/Como_1907/status/2056374871127429160" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vardy-jamie/fP3OohgD/"]Jamie Vardy[/a]'s Cremonese sit just inside the drop zone, one point behind [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lecce/G8lYsMgU/"]Lecce[/a] who welcome [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/genoa/d0PJxeie/"]Genoa[/a].[/p][p]Milan were deep in crisis before last weekend's key win at Genoa put the seven-time European champions in pole position to return to Europe's top club competition, with Cagliari having ensured safety last weekend.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/ac-milan-8Sa8HInO/cagliari-SCGVmKHb/?mid=zqzJHR0D"]Over 70,000 fans are set to pack the San Siro[/a] and generate a radically different atmosphere to the last time their team played at home, when the stands emptied in protest at going three goals down against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/atalanta/8C9JjMXu/"]Atalanta[/a].[/p][p]That defeat caused Milan's owner [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/reichelt-patrick/EVNEYyK3/"]Gerry Cardinale[/a] to publicly defend himself from fan criticism of him being more interested in profits than on-field results, hinting big changes are expected this summer.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/conte-antonio/23vSAc12/"]Antonio Conte[/a] is set to take charge of his last [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/napoli/69Dxbc61/"]Napoli[/a] match on Sunday in one of the weekend's five dead rubbers, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/udinese/rXw8YKDE/"]Udinese[/a] rolling south to Naples with nothing to play for.[/p][image alt="Serie A table" id="9c11a36e-baea-463f-b43d-391cdd7fef47" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="ce747881-9195-48f7-90a3-594ba73bfd2c" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]Napoli secured Champions League football last weekend and Conte is widely expected to leave southern Italy's biggest club for a second spell in charge of the country's beleaguered national team.[/p][p]The name of the new Italy coach will only be made public after the election of a new football federation president on June 22, a couple of weeks after friendlies with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/union-luxembourg/jq2RhcTR/"]Luxembourg[/a] and Greece.[/p][h2]Player to watch: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/modric-luka/bZWyoJnA/"]Luka Modric[/a][/h2][p]Star midfielder Modric was expected to miss the rest of the Serie A season after suffering a fractured cheekbone in a clash of heads with Juve midfielder [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/locatelli-manuel/6RgXRdd8/"]Manuel Locatelli[/a] last month.[/p][p]But less than a month after surgery on the injury, which at the time AFP was told would keep him out of action until this summer's World Cup, Modric is near-certain to start at the San Siro.[/p][p]The Croatia captain has been training this week with a face mask and, save for any accidents, he will be in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/allegrini-pierre/AN0ZA0NK/"]Allegri[/a]'s starting XI against Cagliari.[/p][p]Modric has an option to stay on at Milan for one more season after what will be the 40-year-old's last World Cup.[/p][p]Key stats[/p][p]2 - The number of points separating the four contenders for the two remaining Champions League spots.[/p][p]7 - It's been seven seasons since Roma last qualified for the Champions League.[/p][h2]Fixtures (times GMT)[/h2][p][b]Friday:[/b][/p][p]Fiorentina v Atalanta (1845)[/p][p][b]Saturday:[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bologna/0M9xNN8N/"]Bologna[/a] v [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/inter/Iw7eKK25/"]Inter[/a] (1600), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lazio/URcSl02h/"]Lazio[/a] v Pisa (1845)[/p][p][b]Sunday:[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/parma/6DxlaxHN/"]Parma[/a] v [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sassuolo/QDdvI0zl/"]Sassuolo[/a] (1300), Napoli v Udinese (1600), Cremonese v Como, Lecce v Genoa, AC Milan v Cagliari, Torino v Juventus, Verona v Roma (all 1845)[/p]