Juventus take on AC Milan at the San Siro on Sunday night in a match that could redraw the top end of Serie A. The visitors arrive with five wins in their last six games, while Milan have slid in recent weeks and now sit just three points above them.
If Juventus win, they would finish the night level on points with Milan and ahead of them in third place on goal differential. That would matter because Juventus entered this final leg of a three-game stretch expected to help determine whether they can qualify for the Champions League in 2025-26.
Napoli did their part on Friday night by winning and moving into second place, which tightened the squeeze on the teams behind them. Juventus were not even in the top four a couple of weeks ago, but this run has changed the picture quickly and left them within reach of a spot that looked distant earlier this month.
The task is still manageable, but it is not simple. Juventus have five fixtures left after Sunday, and their next two are against Hellas Verona and Lecce before they meet Torino on the final weekend of the season. Their highest-placed remaining opponent is Torino, who are 13th, which means this is the toughest test left.
Milan are expected to sit in a low block and force Juventus to work for every opening, even though the visitors should have more of the ball against an Allegri-coached team. That setup points to a familiar kind of night for Milan, and the club’s recent form has not suggested a side locked down enough to make it routine.
The contrast is sharp. Milan had spent the vast majority of the season in second or third place, but their recent downturn has opened the door for Juventus to turn pressure into position. An Allegri-coached team went corto muso in a slim 1-0 win before, and this one may need a similar edge if it wants to keep its place in the Champions League race.
For Juventus, the standings say this is still a chase. The calendar says the opening is there. Sunday night may decide whether they enter the last four matches with control of their fate or still hunting a move they were too far from only days ago.
