Three matches, two spots and one round. This is story of the final weekend of the Serie A season, as Milan, Napoli and Juventus are still battling for the last two Champions League spots.
The Bianconeri will take on Bologna, whilst the Partenopei will meet Hellas Verona, and both sides will be expected to to earn all three points against two mid-table teams who already have one foot into their summer vacations.
For the Southerners, a win would prove to be enough to unlock their spot in the Top 4. However, the Old Lady would still have to rely on Atalanta to derail Milan.
Therefore, logic has it that Juventus and Milan will be contending for the final spot in Europe’s elite competition.
So here are two reasons that support the cause of each side.
Reason #1 (Milan): Physical Advantage
After their battle against Juventus in the Coppa Italia final, Atalanta only have few days to recover ahead of their final encounter against Milan in round 38.
On the other hand, Stefano Pioli had an entire week to prepare for the decisive battle against La Dea, and his players should be fully rested and ready to go.
Reason #1 (Juventus): Relying on Bogeyman
Although Gian Piero Gasperini’s men won’t be at their physical peak, they have proven to be the Rossoneri’s real bogeyman in the past few seasons – including a 3-0 victory earlier in the campaign, and a 5-0 humiliation last season.
Moreover, Atalanta are currently enjoying a solid run, while their neighbors have been less than perfect to say the least.
These facts will undoubtedly give the Old Lady reasons to hope.
Reason #2 (Milan): Fully Determined
The history of the game taught us many lessons, and amongst them: The more determined side ends up winning more often than not.
Although Gasperini’s team would definitely enter the match in the hopes of winning, the Orobici have already secured their Champion League spot.
On the other hand, the Diavolo must be more hungry than ever to play CL football after missing out in the past eight years.
Despite not showing enough determination against Cagliari, we’re expecting to see a fire bursting out of the Milan players – similarly to the one displayed against Juventus – and this could make all the difference on Sunday.
Reason #2 (Juventus): Financial Rewards
Yes, it’s true that Milan have more to play for, but Atalanta will still want to win the match in order to secure second place in the league.
Besides the prestige that comes with it, the runner-up spot will ensure La Dea a financial reward worth 19,4 million euros. However, if they lose their final match, they will likely drop to 4th place, and earn a reward of just 14.2 millions.
Therefore, the difference between winning or losing for Atalanta is worth more than 5 millions, and that is a large sum amidst the current financial difficulties.
Conclusion
There you have it. Determining who will secure a Top 4 spot is a pretty challenging task, especially with both sides having their logical reasons to believe in their chances. Milan still have it with in their own hands, whilst Juventus can only do their job at Bologna and pray for a gift from the Goddess of Bergamo.