Why Milan and Juventus have already virtually qualified for the UCL knockouts

Why Milan and Juventus have already virtually qualified for the UCL knockouts
Why Milan and Juventus have already virtually qualified for the UCL knockouts

AC Milan have virtually already booked their place in the knockout stages of the Champions League, with only one thing left to be resolved.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport report, Juventus (with one game to spare) and Milan (with two) are 99.9% already qualified for the Champions League play-offs. The Bianconeri have no chance of getting into the top eight, the Rossoneri still have the potential by winning their last two games.

Absurdly, both still have a possibility – albeit very remote – of exiting the competition, but it would take both teams losing their remaining fixtures with quite a large goal swing.

In addition to this, a combination of results would be needed: Real Madrid, Feyenoord, Celtic and Sporting CP would have to get six points in the last 180 minutes, Stuttgart and PSV would have to win on the last day and, at the same time, Manchester City would have to win in and draw with Club Brugge.

-

Dinamo Zagreb, in addition to beating the Rossoneri, would have to win at Arsenal tonight. At that point, Thiago Motta and Sergio Conceiçao’s teams would find themselves tied with Brugge and Manchester City on 12 points, but would be behind in the standings on goal difference with a seven and six-goal swing respectively.

One would be 24th and qualified and the other 25th and eliminated. Between the two Italian teams, Milan currently seem to be the winner, having scored more goals than Juve (12 against 9).

The Diavolo will not be thinking about that, however. Instead, they will have their sights firmly on obtaining six more points to be certain of direct qualification for the last 16 of the competition, starting tonight against Girona.

-

--

PREV “It’s difficult to make up for nearly 15 months of shortage in a few days,” laments the president of Médecins du monde
NEXT Benfica: Otamendi reacts to the defeat and ‘pecks’ the referee