Roma took a huge step towards returning to the Champions League by beating Lazio 2-0 in a feisty derby which finished with both teams down to 10 men. while Napoli won 3-0 at Pisa to secure a top-four spot.
Gianluca Mancini smashed home two headers from corners. one in each half, at the Stadio Olimpico to move Roma up to fourth thanks also to Juventus’s shock 2-0 home defeat by Fiorentina.
Roma haven’t played in the Champions League since being knocked out in the last 16 by Porto in 2019. an absence which has left them lagging behind their rivals. But a win next weekend at relegated Verona will guarantee Roma a spot in Europe’s elite club competition thanks to a two-point gap separating them from both fifth-placed Como, 1-0 winners against Parma,. Juve who are now sixth.
The derby. all four other fixtures were pushed forward by half an hour to avoid a clash with the men’s final at the Italian Open tennis tournament, which will take place a stone’s throw from the Olimpico later this afternoon.
A massive security presence was on show all around the stadium. the atmosphere in the ground was one-sided with the Lazio fans continuing their months-long boycott of matches in protest against the owner, Claudio Lotito. Roma’s loud home support belted out song after song after a potentially massive win. on Sunday meant much more than just local pride.
The volatile nature of the derby was highlighted by Nicolò Rovella. Wesley being sent off in a scrap shortly after Mancini headed home the decisive second goal from Paulo Dybala’s corner in the 66th minute.
Juventus had started well against Fiorentina, with Francisco Conceição and Dusan Vlahovic creating early chances. But shortly after the half-hour mark, Cher Ndour’s shot took a deflection off Juve’s Teun Koopmeiners and found the net.
Vlahovic’s strike in the second half was disallowed after a video review due to offside,. Fiorentina’s Luca Ranieri was sent off for protesting against the goal being initially awarded. Despite their numerical disadvantage, 15th-placed Fiorentina doubled their lead in the 82nd minute through Rolando Mandragora.
Milan are third, level on 70 points with Roma after a hard-fought 2-1 win at Genoa which came thanks to a Christopher Nkunku penalty five minutes after half-time. Zachary Athekame’s drilled strike eight minutes from the end. The seven-time European champions’ form has fallen off a cliff in recent weeks. a win at home over Cagliari next weekend will guarantee Massimiliano Allegri’s team a spot in the top four.
Napoli were always favourites to win at relegated Pisa and made sure of their spot in next season’s Champions League. Scott McTominay got the ball rolling in the 21st minute with his 14th goal of the season,. the deal was as good as done five minutes later when Amir Rrahmani scored from an Eljif Elmas corner.
Rasmus Højlund rounded off a straightforward win in stoppage time as Napoli pulled five points ahead of Como. Juventus with one game remaining.
In La Liga Vinícius Júnior earned Real Madrid a 1-0 win at Sevilla on Sunday in the penultimate round of fixtures,. results elsewhere mean the hosts have secured safety from relegation. Levante earned a vital 2-0 win over Mallorca, who are 19th. in grave danger, along with Girona, 18th after a 1-0 defeat at Atlético Madrid.
After Kylian Mbappe complained midweek he had been told by the head coach. Alvaro Arbeloa, he was Madrid’s “fourth forward” after he came on as a substitute against Real Oviedo, the French superstar started against Sevilla. Mbappe teed up his strike partner Vinícius to send Madrid ahead in Andalusia. bringing down a cross which the Brazilian powered home.
In the capital. Atlético’s Antoine Griezmann started against Girona in his final match at the Metropolitano before joining MLS side Orlando City. The France forward, Atlético’s all-time top goalscorer, arrived for the match visibly emotional. Playing for the 500th time in Atletico colours, Griezmann set up Ademola Lookman for the game’s only goal.
Espanyol ensured their safety by beating Osasuna 2-1 to record a second consecutive victory. after an astonishing 18-match run without a win. Alavés also secured their top-flight status with a 1-0 win over already-relegated Real Oviedo.
Elche, 17th, defeated Getafe 1-0 to boost their hopes of avoiding relegation. They will face Girona on the final day of the season in a potentially decisive clash.
Elversberg will play in the Bundesliga for the first time ever next season after earning promotion with a 3-0 home win over Preussen Münster on Sunday. sparking wild celebrations at the Waldstadion an der Kaiserlinde which can hold most of the town’s inhabitants.
The win, thanks to Bambase Conte’s early goal. a double from David Mokwa, secured second place in the standings ahead of Paderborn on goal difference, with fans streaming onto the pitch to celebrate.
Elversberg suffered heartbreak last season in only their second-ever campaign in the second tier, losing out on promotion in a playoff with Bundesliga side Heidenheim,. now become the smallest town to have a team in the German top flight.
Spiesen-Elversberg has a population of around 13,000 while the club’s ground has a capacity of 10,000,. Elversberg have achieved three promotions in the last five seasons in a remarkable rise from the lower leagues.
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