The Race for Serie A Top 4: Milan in Danger, Juventus Confident

After a humiliating 0-3 loss to Udinese, Milan is in grave danger of dropping the Champions League ticket they previously held firmly. In contrast, Juventus and Roma have achieved vital wins.

On the standings after 32 rounds, Milan now leads Juventus, who sits in 5th place, by only 3 points (63-60). That gap could vanish if they lose to Juventus themselves in round 34 two weeks later; in that scenario, Juventus would rank higher due to a superior head-to-head record.

Red Alert for Milan

Milan falling out of the Top 4 is no longer just a possibility but a real threat, a highest-level warning signal. The decline under coach Max Allegri is staggering. Just last month, they were contending for the title and had a 9-point cushion over the teams outside the Top 4, relatively safe with 10 rounds left. However, two consecutive defeats have completely changed the situation. After a misleading 24-match unbeaten run, Milan has lost 3 of their last 4 matches, and 4 of their last 7. What is truly alarming now is the remaining schedule filled with "nemesis" opponents like Sassuolo, Atalanta, and Genoa, alongside a major clash with a Juventus side currently in much better form.

The embarrassing 0-3 home defeat to Udinese, an opponent Milan easily beat 3-0 in the first leg, confirms that the red-black squad is completely lost at a time when they should be sprinting and staying grounded. The players showed neither cohesion nor fighting spirit, while Allegri is still struggling with tactical setups. The 3-5-2 was ineffective against Lazio and Napoli; switching to 4-3-3 collapsed against Udinese, a team undoubtedly inferior to Milan in player quality at nearly every position. Allegri's substitutions and adjustments also failed to make any difference. Recent statistics show that the total days Milan's forwards have failed to score has surpassed 500 and continues to extend.

The nightmares of 2008 and 2019, losing the Champions League spot at the last minute, could fully return for Milan if they do not quickly escape the current panic-stricken atmosphere.

The Triumph of the "Loan Superstars"

In stark contrast to Milan's tragedy, both Juventus and Roma secured extremely important victories to continue their Top 4 race. Notably, the goals were scored by players on loan who only arrived in January.

Before this round, Roma was in a similar plight as Milan, stumbling consecutively and losing all advantage and position in the Champions League race. Facing Pisa, the bottom-placed team, was a good chance to halt their decline, and they succeeded with a 3-0 win thanks to a superb hat-trick by new signing Donyell Malen. Since the Dutch forward joined Roma on January 15th, no striker in Serie A has performed better. Overall, Malen has scored 10 goals in just 12 matches, fully capable of competing for the top scorer title if he continues to shine. His scoring form is also vital for Roma's hopes.

Similarly to Roma, Juventus is riding the wave of precious goals from new signing Jeremie Boga, voted the team's best player in March. His opportunistic strike in the second half to secure a 1-0 win away at tough opponent Atalanta is his 4th goal in the last 6 matches, directly bringing Juventus 6 points. Juve's morale is extremely high after officially securing coach Luciano Spalletti's contract extension and winning 4, drawing 1 in their last 5 matches. The early-2026 crisis no longer haunts them; instead, there is absolute confidence in securing next season's Champions League spot.

The brilliance of Malen and Boga completely contrasts with the dullness displayed by new signing Niclas Fullkrug at Milan, highlighting Milan's mistakes and inadequacy in strengthening their squad during the winter transfer window. That mistake could cost them dearly with yet another wasted season.