News Focus
- Five clubs could finish the Italian season with exactly 71 points each
- The final two matchdays remain wide open for Champions League qualification
- Serie A uses head-to-head records, not goal difference, to separate tied teams
- A special mini-league table would decide which three clubs enter the Champions League
- Play-offs only occur for the title race or relegation battles, not European places
The battle for European football in Italy threatens to end in administrative chaos. Five major clubs could finish the campaign with identical points totals, creating a complex puzzle for league officials.
With only two rounds of fixtures left, Napoli, Juventus, AC Milan, AS Roma and Como remain locked in a tight contest. These sides sit within just five points of each other as they chase the three remaining Champions League positions.
The team finishing fifth will enter the Europa League alongside the sixth-placed side. Seventh spot likely brings a place in the Conference League.
The Unlikely 71-Point Scenario
A specific set of results in the final week could leave all five clubs level on 71 points. This nightmare situation requires:
- Napoli to earn just one point from matches against Pisa and Udinese
- Juventus to secure three points from fixtures with Fiorentina and Torino
- Milan to collect four points against Genoa and Cagliari
- Roma to gather four points from clashes with Lazio and Verona
- Como to win both of their remaining games against Parma and Cremonese
How Officials Would Decide the Table
Unlike the Premier League or La Liga, Serie A does not use goal difference to rank teams with equal points. Instead, officials examine the head-to-head records between the tied clubs throughout the season.
This system creates a “classifica avulsa”. This is a special mini-table that only includes results between the five affected teams. Under this calculation, AC Milan, Napoli and Como would claim the coveted Champions League places. Juventus and Roma would drop into the Europa League spots.
Italian football only holds play-off matches for two situations. These are when two teams tie for the championship title, or when two clubs finish level in the relegation zone.