TORINO, Italy — Juventus secure Champions League spot on a thrilling final day of Serie A on May 25, 2025. They clinched a dramatic 3-2 win against Venezia, ensuring they finish fourth, just one point ahead of rivals Roma. The loss condemned Venezia to relegation.
Manuel Locatelli converted a crucial penalty in the 73rd minute, sealing Juve’s spot in Europe’s elite competition. Roma, who needed a win against Torino to leapfrog Juve, fell short and will now play in the Europa League.
Going into the final day, only two points separated Juventus (67 points), Roma (66), and Lazio (65). The three clubs were in a tight contest for the top four. Juventus had recently faced immense pressure due to a streak of lackluster performances, including a five-game winless run away.
Despite this, Juventus started the match poorly, conceding an early goal to Daniel Fila. VAR denied Juve a quick equalizer when Alberto Costa’s effort was ruled out for offside. As the game progressed, Roma initially took an early lead against Torino through Leandro Paredes’ 18th-minute penalty.
However, Juve turned the tide, with Kenan Yildiz and Randal Kolo-Muani scoring the necessary goals to put them back in contention. Simultaneously, Lazio’s hopes dwindled as they trailed Lecce despite their opponent being reduced to ten men after Santiago Pierotti’s red card.
Roma briefly surged ahead in the standings when Alexis Saelemaekers scored again, but Ridgeciano Haps equalized for Venezia, keeping Juventus’ hopes alive. In the final critical moments, Locatelli’s penalty shot sent Juve into European competition.
“We gave it our all; it’s hard to accept not making it to the Champions League,” said Roma’s manager Claudio Ranieri in his post-match interview. “I’m proud of the players for their fight this season.”
Meanwhile, Lazio’s defeat left them in seventh place, missing out on European qualification entirely. Juventus now awaits their draw in the Champions League group stage while Roma gears up for Europa League competition.
Venezia and Empoli dropped to Serie B alongside Monza, while Lecce narrowly escaped relegation.
The stakes turned exceptionally high on the last matchday, as Napoli was also crowned Serie A champions for the second time in three years, finishing just ahead of Inter Milan.
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