Nine matches still lie ahead to define this season’s fate. With Juventus and Lazio stalling unexpectedly, it seems we’re back in the thick of the Champions League race. It’s a familiar tableau for AC Milan, who have previously found themselves six points adrift of fourth place at this stage—in the 2001/02 season, under Carlo Ancelotti, the team plummeted to sixth after a loss to Bologna, trailing by six points as they approached the home stretch. Back then, the Rossoneri kick-started their engine and clinched a spot on the final day.
Currently, it pains to observe that if the season concluded now, Milan would be left out of all European competitions. The last such instance was in the 2019/20 season, but that was a different kettle of fish entirely. The last occasion when Milan failed to qualify for an European tournament due to performance was in the 2015/16 campaign, a tumultuous year that began with Sinisa Mihajlovic and ended with Cristian Brocchi at the helm. This dismal stretch saw Milan locked out for three successive years, with their European standing tumbled.
As indisputable as the glamour and financial allure of the Champions League may be, being entirely absent from European football is unthinkable. So, what’s the landscape looking like? Let’s delve into the fixtures facing all contenders from fourth to tenth place, assuming Inter, Napoli, and Atalanta are set for Champions League berths.
Here’s how the league is shaping up for the clubs involved:
4. Bologna 53
5. Juventus 52
6. Lazio 51
7. Roma 49
8. Fiorentina 48
9. Milan 47
The upcoming fixtures unfold as follows:
30th Matchday
Fiorentina – Atalanta
Juventus – Genoa
Lazio – Torino
Lecce – Roma
Napoli – Milan
Venezia – Bologna
31st Matchday
Atalanta – Lazio
Bologna – Napoli
Milan – Fiorentina
Roma – Juventus
32nd Matchday
Atalanta – Bologna
Fiorentina – Parma
Juventus – Lecce
Lazio – Roma
Udinese – Milan
33rd Matchday
Bologna – Inter
Cagliari – Fiorentina
Genoa – Lazio
Milan – Atalanta
Parma – Juventus
Roma – Hellas Verona
34th Matchday
Fiorentina – Empoli
Inter – Roma
Juventus – Monza
Lazio – Parma
Udinese – Bologna
Venezia – Milan
35th Matchday
Bologna – Juventus
Empoli – Lazio
Genoa – Milan
Roma – Fiorentina
36th Matchday
Atalanta – Roma
Lazio – Juventus
Milan – Bologna
Venezia – Fiorentina
37th Matchday
Fiorentina – Bologna
Inter – Lazio
Juventus – Udinese
Roma – Milan
38th Matchday
Bologna – Genoa
Lazio – Lecce
Milan – Monza
Torino – Roma
Udinese – Fiorentina
Venezia – Juventus
– Resource: “https://www.milannews.it/primo-piano/corsa-alla-champions-il-calendario-di-tutte-le-squadre-coinvolte-il-milan-torna-in-corsa-570485
