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Juventus Seal Playoff Berth as Napoli Stumble and Inter Slip from Top Eight in Champions League Shake-Up

The league‑phase table sends the top eight straight to the last 16, leaving the rest to two‑legged playoffs.

Overview

  • Juventus beat Benfica 2-0 in Turin through Thuram and McKennie to clinch an arithmetic place in the Champions League playoffs, with Benfica missing a penalty as José Mourinho rued key absences.
  • Napoli drew 1-1 at Copenhagen after leading through McTominay and playing about an hour up a man following Delaney’s red card, only to concede a late equaliser when Larsson scored on a rebound from his saved penalty.
  • Conte’s side now must defeat Chelsea at the Stadio Maradona next week to secure a playoff spot, with a draw leaving their qualification at serious risk.
  • Inter’s loss to Arsenal dropped them out of the top eight; to avoid the playoffs they need to win at Borussia Dortmund and rely on other results, a scenario coach Cristian Chivu has conceded may be unlikely.
  • Atalanta retain a narrow path to direct qualification that requires a big win and help elsewhere, while Bayern Munich have already locked a last‑16 place after defeating Union Saint‑Gilloise.