Juventus Beat Relegated Venezia To Secure Champions League Spot
Juventus qualified for the Champions League on Sunday after beating relegated Venezia 3-2 to pip Roma, 2-0 winners at Torino, to Serie A's final spot by a single point. Manuel Locatelli's penalty in the 73rd minute won a exciting contest on the Venice Lagoon and secured Juve fourth place on the final day of an eventful season. Juve looked set for a straightforward win when quickfire goals from Kenan Yildiz and Randal Kolo Muani put the away side ahead on the half-hour mark, after falling behind to Daniel Fila's strike in the second minute.
But Ridgeciano Haps gave Venezia, who had to win to have any chance of staying up, hope of survival nine minutes after the break and put Roma briefly fourth.
Claudio Ranieri's Roma were two goals ahead at that point through a Leandro Paredes penalty in the 18th minute and Alexis Saelemaekers' header seven minutes after the break, with fans of the capital club hoping Venezia would hold out.
However, Locatelli calmly stroked Juve back into the lead and Europe's top club competition after Francisco Conceicao was clumsily brought down in the penalty area by Hans Nicolussi Caviglia.
Ranieri ended his coaching career just missing out on giving Roma their first Champions League qualification since 2018, after dragging his boyhood club up from near the relegation spots following his second return in November.
A Europa League place is still some achievement for Roma given where they were when Ranieri arrived, especially with local rivals Lazio not having any European football next season after losing 1-0 at home to Lecce, who stay up.
Lazio dropped out of the European places with defeat at the Stadio Olimpico and Fiorentina beating Udinese 3-2 to claim the UEFA Conference League spot.
Venezia meanwhile join bottom club Monza and Empoli, 2-1 losers at home to relegation rivals Verona, in Serie B.
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