AC Milan have thrown away their chances of Champions League football for the second campaign in succession, finishing fifth in the Serie A table after losing at home to Cagliari, letting in Como who won 4-1 away to Cremonese.
When they woke up on Sunday morning AC Milan and AS Roma sat third and fourth in the table, while Como and Juventus were lurking in fifth and sixth just two points behind.
Atalanta and Bologna had already confirmed their seventh and eight places, La Dea drawing 1-1 away to Fiorentina on Friday night, while I Rossoblu shared six goals with Scudetto winners Inter Milan. Lazio finished in ninth thanks to a 2-1 win over Pisa and then the sun rose on Sunday, and all eyes turned towards Milan, Turin, Lombardy and Verona.
Max Allegri’s Milan hosted Cagliari and, as the top club without European distractions this term, were under huge pressure to deliver, while Roma visited relegated Verona, and were on a run of five wins and a draw from their last six games. The insurgents Como were away to Cremonese who were fighting relegation, and Juventus took on Torino in the Turin derby.
The Serie A 2026 betting odds said Milan should be okay and the pressure at the San Siro Stadium lifted instantly as I Rossoneri were the first to strike, with just two minutes on the clock. When Santiago Gimenez nodded down a cross Alexis Saelemaekers seized on the loose ball and fired his shot into the bottom left corner to make it 1-0. But the joy in Milan was short lived when poor marking left Cagliari’s Gennaro Borrelli with too much time and space when he met a corner and he made it 1-1.
Juventus lost 2-0 at home to Fiorentina last week in a game which La Viola had little to play for, sitting comfortably in mid table, and that result put a whole heap of pressure on the Old Lady in the run up to the Turin Derby. But trouble before the game delayed Juventus’ clash with Torino as the ultras of both clubs battled outside the ground and ‘the kick-off was delayed for public safety reasons.’ And that meant the Serie A 2026 results would not land simultaneously as planned.
Back to the football and Como were the next team in on the action when Jesus Rodriguez finished off a fast break to hammer a thunderbolt in the top right corner to lead Cremonese 1-0. And one became two when Tasos Douvikas slotted home to double the lead. And Como fans celebrated again with the news that Juan Rodriguez had headed Cagliari 2-1 ahead in Milan.
But a Cremonese penalty conversion from Federico Bonazzoli made it 2-1 to Como and that concentrated the minds of Cesc Fabregas’ side.
Over in Verona AS Roma made their breakthrough, Donyell Malen had just had a penalty saved when he had a chance to make amends, and he did, getting on the end of a Paulo Dybala cross to put I Giallorossi in charge. And Verona went down to ten men when Nicolas Valentin picked up a second yellow card.
With order restored in Turin, Juventus got their game underway and, as the other matches went into second half, the Old Lady went ahead through Dusan Vlahovic, and, at that point it was Roma on 73, Juve and Como on 71 and Milan down in sixth on 70.
And then there was a minute of chaos in Cremonese as Matteo Bianchetti felled Como’s Douvikas and VAR awarded a penalty. The home team players totally lost control and, in the melee, and a flurry of red cards Milan Djuric, Alberto Grassi and David Okereke were all dismissed to leave the hosts down to eight men and 3-1 down when Lucas da Cunha slammed home the penalty. With 82 on the clock Da Cunha bagged his second and Como’s fourth and as the home fans raged the away end was bouncing.
And over in Verona the away fans were celebrating wildly as Roma broke away and when Dybala slipped the ball through Stephan El Shaarawy slid his shot into the bottom left corner to give them a 2-0 win and Champions League football.
But there was misery in Milan as Allegri’s men failed to get back into the game against Cagliari and they finish fifth.
Lecce survives
With Hellas Verona and Pisa already relegated it was left to Cremonese and Lecce to fight it out for the one available survival spot. With just six minutes on the clock Lecce went ahead in their game against Genoa as Lameck Banda latched on to a ball from Santiago Pierotti and from close range he lashed his shot into the roof of the net. At that point Lecce were eyeing safety and as things collapsed around their ears against Como, Cremonese took the drop.
So next for the SBOTOP team it’s the 2026 World Cup which kicks off on 11th June but there will be no Italian team over in the United States, and that is painful for Azzurri supporters. But Roma and Como fans won’t mind so much after a dramatic end to the Serie A campaign.
Juventus eventually drew 2-2 with Torino and finished sixth, an hour after the celebrations had started for Como.
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