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Italy have stepped even further clear of Spain, but are still locked in a battle with Germany for an additional spot in next season’s Champions League after the conclusion of Thursday night’s Europa and Conference League ties.
It was a step in the right direction for Italy’s hopes of securing an additional Champions League spot for 2026-27, as all the Serie A representatives secured victories on Thursday night.
Fiorentina beat Dynamo Kyiv 2-1 in the Conference League early kick-off, before Roma’s 3-0 victory away against Celtic and Bologna’s 2-1 comeback victory against Celta Vigo in the Europa League.
These add to Juventus’s 2-0 win over Pafos and Atalanta’s surprise 2-1 win over Club World Cup victors Chelsea in the Champions League earlier this week. Inter were beaten 1-0 by Liverpool in San Siro, while Napoli fell to a 2-0 defeat away against Jose Mourinho’s Benfica.
The situation leaves Italy in third place in the UEFA seasonal association coefficient rankings. This is what is used to determine which two nations receive an additional Champions League spot.
The UEFA tables are expected to be officially updated on Friday, but figures provided by Sky Sport Italia show that Italy will be in third place on 11.071 points, behind Germany in second on 11.660 points and England in first with 13.166 points.
Spain are in fourth with 10.609 points, with Portugal slightly behind them in fifth on 10.600 points.
FIFA World Cup
