Serie A final day: Champions League dream for Como as Milan slip and three clubs go down
A breathtaking and utterly chaotic final day of the Serie A season delivered one of the most remarkable fairytales in modern Italian football history as Como clinched Champions League qualification, capitalising on a sensational AC Milan collapse, while US Cremonese, Hellas Verona, and Pisa saw their relegations firmly sealed.
Match Day 38 Serie A Results
The afternoon’s headline drama unfolded at a stunned San Siro, where AC Milan’s European ambitions went up in smoke. Massimiliano Allegri’s side held their destiny in their own hands, needing a win against 16th-placed Cagliari to secure a top-four finish. Things seemed to be going perfectly to script when Alexis Saelemaekers scored the fastest goal of Milan’s season after just 93 seconds. However, the Rossoneri collapsed under pressure. Gennaro Borrelli equalised for the visitors before Juan Rodriguez turned the game completely on its head in the 57th minute. Despite introducing Rafael Leao from the bench, Milan could not find an answer, falling to a shocking 2-1 defeat that dropped them down to fifth and into the Europa League.
Milan’s misery was absolute ecstasy for Como. Cesc Fàbregas’s side completed an unbelievable ascent to Europe’s elite competition in their very first season back in the top flight, hammering local rivals Cremonese 4-1 at the Stadio Giovanni Zini. The match descended into pure chaos in the second half as Cremonese completely imploded under the threat of the drop, picking up three red cards in a matter of minutes for Milan Djuric, Alberto Grassi, and David Okereke. Lucas Da Cunha struck twice to ensure Como finished fourth on 71 points, sparking wild celebrations for a club that was playing amateur football less than a decade ago.
Cremonese’s heavy defeat condemned them to immediate relegation back to Serie B on 34 points, joining Hellas Verona and bottom-club Pisa in the drop zone. Verona’s fate had already been sealed prior to the final matchday, and their season ended with a quiet whimper as they fell 2-0 to AS Roma at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi. A VAR-awarded penalty converted by Donyell Malen on the rebound and a late, composed finish from Stephan El Shaarawy ensured Daniele De Rossi’s Roma locked down third place with 73 points to book their own spot in next season’s Champions League.
Further up the standings, the final European places took their definitive shape. Napoli secured the runners-up spot behind dominant champions Inter Milan, who had wrapped up their 21st Scudetto weeks in advance. Napoli ran out 1-0 winners over Udinese in what was Antonio Conte’s final match in charge, with Rasmus Højlund sliding home the winner from a Kevin De Bruyne through-ball.
Serie A 2025-2026 – Regular Season
- Europa League (League Stage)
- Europa Conference League (Qualification)
- Relegation - Serie B
Juventus finished their campaign in sixth place on 69 points to claim the second Europa League berth alongside Milan, following a delayed kickoff against Torino due to pre-match fan trouble. Meanwhile, Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta consolidated seventh place on 59 points, securing Italy’s lone UEFA Conference League spot and freezing out late charges from Bologna and Lazio.
With the Scudetto long decided, the final afternoon of the campaign belonged entirely to the extraordinary subplots at opposite ends of the table. For Como, a historic continental adventure awaits; for Milan, a summer of intense introspection begins; and for Cremonese, Verona, and Pisa, the harsh reality of the second tier beckons after an unforgettable, cruel, and captivating season finale.
