May 21 (Reuters) - While Inter Milan have long since wrapped up their 21st Serie A title and Napoli have secured a Champions League spot, the final round of Italy's top flight this weekend will see four teams battling to join them in Europe's elite club competition next season.
With the top four qualifying for the Champions League, AC Milan and AS Roma sit level on 70 points in third and fourth place respectively, but face fierce pressure from surprise challengers Como and traditional heavyweights Juventus, who trail two points behind on 68.
On paper, Milan face a relatively straightforward task at home against 16th-placed Cagliari on Sunday, yet the team's patchy form has kept the door open for the chasing pack.
A recent run of only two wins in seven matches, which evaporated Milan's once-comfortable cushion in the top four, has turned what should have been a straightforward run-in into a tense finale.
Allegri has maintained that a Champions League berth is the primary objective. Missing out on Europe's elite competition for a second consecutive year would be a major setback for the seven-time winners and intensify pressure on the manager.
Cagliari, on the other hand, have little to lose. Having already secured top-flight survival, the visitors will view the match simply as an opportunity to end the season on a positive note. History is heavily on the hosts' side, with Cagliari winless at San Siro since June 1997, a dismal run spanning 22 consecutive matches.
ROMA EYE ELITE RETURN
By contrast, Roma are unbeaten in six matches, winning their last four, ahead of their final match at already relegated Hellas Verona. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side have found their rhythm at the perfect time to put themselves on the brink of a place among Europe's elite for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
“We’re happy, it all depends on us now next week and no longer on our opponents. Now we’ve got to concentrateon this target that we want at all costs," Gasperini said.
Como will seek to cap a fairytale campaign under Cesc Fabregas. Sitting fifth, the lakeside club must defeat relegation-battling Cremonese on Sunday and pray that either Milan or Roma slip up at the final hurdle.
Following a damaging 2-0 defeat to Fiorentina, sixth-placed Juventus need a Derby della Mole victory at local rivals Torino on Sunday to have a chance of sneaking into the top four.
Failure to win would mark the first time in seven seasons since 2009 that Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti has been in charge of a Serie A club and failed to secure Champions League qualification.
CREMONESE OR LECCE DOWN
At the bottom of the standings, the battle for survival has narrowed to a direct shootout between Lecce and Cremonese to avoid the final relegation spot alongside already doomed Hellas Verona and Pisa.
Lecce hold a slender one-point advantage in 17th place and host an unpredictable Genoa on Sunday, while Cremonese entertain a visiting Como side that has everything to play for.
Cremonese's hopes may rest on 39-year-old Jamie Vardy, with the former Leicester City striker scoring in two games in a row as they earned back-to-back wins in a late bid to turn their fortunes around.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in GdanskEditing by Toby Davis)
