Courtesy: Bleacher Report, Daily Sabah
Juventus qualified for the Champions League on the final day of the season on Sunday with a 4-1 win over Bologna, while AC Milan followed suit with a 2-0 win over Atalanta. Juventus needed assistance on the final day of Serie A to avoid a tragic end to a poor season. Hellas Verona delivered with a 1-1 draw at Napoli, securing Juve’s participation in the Champions League for next season.
Juve had a 3-0 halftime lead thanks to goals from Federico Chiesa, Alvaro Morata, and Adrien Rabiot. Morata scored his second goal immediately after the restart, however, Riccardo Orsolini rescued the hosts with a late consolation.
Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo was selected for an offensive line-up of Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morata flanked by Federico Chiesa and Dejan Kulusevski, leaving Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench.
On the other hand, AC Milan defeated Atalanta, who had already secured a top-four finish, to finish ahead of their opponents in second place and secure a place in the Champions League.
Following a 15-match unbeaten start, AC Milan spent 18 of the first 21 weeks of the season in the first place, inspiring its trophy-hungry fanbase to dream of a return to triumph. However, 2021 quickly put an end to optimism with four losses in the first nine games of the new year, but a 3-0 win against Juventus in early May boosted its Champions League prospects.
Lazio, despite a 2-0 loss to Sassuolo on the final day of the season, has joined Napoli in the Europa League. Inter Milan, already crowned Serie A champions, was greeted by thousands of fans outside San Siro ahead of its 5-1 triumph over Udinese in the early kickoff. The dominant Nerazzurri finished the season with 91 points, 12 more than AC Milan.
Cristiano Ronaldo ends the Serie A season as the top scorer with 29 goals and Ruslan Malinovskiy, of Atalanta, with 12 assists. A great campaign by both to help their teams qualify for the Champions League.
Juventus & Milan qualify for the Champions League on the last match day! 😲🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/gT1hegq0pu
— 433 (@433) May 23, 2021