Finishing second is usually no cause for celebration. But this time it is, at least for all AC Milan fans who’ve waited long enough to hear the UEFA Champions League anthem in San Siro. That also explains why Juventus is celebrating having finished in fourth place.
Let’s take a look at what happened in the last Italian Serie A fixture, how our sports betting predictions did, who qualified for continental competitions, and who will play in Serie B next season.
Italian Serie A Breakdown
Top Four
Even though they had won the title weeks ago, Inter Milan went all-in against Udinese and crushed them 5-1. Inter finished with 91 points, scored 89 goals (second-best in the league), and allowed 35 (best in the league).
AC Milan defeated Atalanta 0-2 to climb to second place and secure a ticket for the UEFA Champions League next season. AC Milan controlled the Serie A for much of the season, but only won six of their last 10 games.
Precisely, Atalanta was the one who fell to third place. Now they’ll play the Champions League Group Stage for the third straight year. Curiously enough, they’ve finished in third place the last three seasons.
“I am happy that we have managed to get this great club back to Champions League where it belongs, and I wish everybody at the club only the best in the future,” said striker Mario Mandzukic after the game while also confirming that he’ll not play for AC Milan in the 2021-22 season.
Juventus suffered a lot in the last couple of weeks. But they defeated Bologna 4-1 and took advantage of Napoli’s draw against Hellas Verona to climb back into the top four and secure the last Champions League spot.
AS Roma didn’t make it, but don’t forget that starting next season Jose Mourinho will be their manager, which means they could become a problem once again.
UEFA Europa League
As we already mentioned, Napoli couldn’t control the pressure and drew 1-1 to Hellas Verona. They needed to win in order to access the UEFA Champions League, which means now they’ve to settle with the UEFA Europa League.
Napoli fired manager Gennaro Gattuso after finishing out of the top four for the first time in the last five seasons.
The other Italian Serie A representative in the UEL will be Lazio, who finished sixth despite not winning any of their last three games. It’s a setback for them because this season they managed to reach the Champions League Round of 16.
Relegated
No more Parma, Crotone, and Benevento, neither won last weekend, and all three will be playing in the Italian Serie B next season. Parma only won three games out of 38, but it was Crotone who allowed the most goals with 92.
Empoli, Salernitana, and Associazione Calcio Monza will take their place in Serie A.
Italian Serie A Top Scorers
Many consider that it was a bad season for Cristiano Ronaldo, and even so, he ended up winning the domestic golden boot after scoring 29 goals. CR7 is expected to leave during the offseason, but nothing is confirmed yet.
Here’s a quick summary of the Serie A’s top scorers:
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus): 29
- Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan): 24
- Luis Muriel (Atalanta): 22
- Dusan Vlahovic (Fiorentina): 21
- Ciro Immobile (Lazio): 20
Don’t be sad because the Italian Serie A ended, you can keep making plays thanks to our already up Copa America 2021 Odds and the Euro 2021 Odds. Both tournaments begin on June 11, but you can start making plays right now!
