Milan has to wait until final day for Champions League fate

<p>MILAN &mdash; AC Milan, Napoli and Juventus will have to wait until the final day of the season to see which two teams qualify for next season’s Champions League.</p>
<p>Milan, which is bidding to return to Europe’s elite after an eight-year absence, could only draw 0-0 against Cagliari on Sunday to leave it level on points with Napoli after Gennaro Gattuso’s side won 2-0 at Fiorentina.</p>
<p>The two teams are a point above fifth-place Juventus, which beat Serie A champion Inter Milan 3-2 on Saturday.</p>
<p>Milan next plays at Atalanta, which has already qualified for the Champions League. Napoli hosts Hellas Verona and Juventus visits Bologna. The top four qualify for Europe’s premier club competition.</p>
<p>Milan knew a win would guarantee it a return to the Champions League for the first time since the 2013-14 season.</p>
<p>Cagliari would have needed a point to secure safety but earlier results meant it was already guaranteed another season in Serie A.</p>
<p>Milan was without star forward Zlatan Ibrahimović, who has also been ruled out of the upcoming European Championship because of a knee injury.</p>
<p>It was reduced to long-range shots in the first half. The Rossoneri went closer in the second period but were denied on several occasions by Cagliari goalkeeper Alessio Cragno.</p>
<p>CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DREAMS</p>
<p>Napoli knew that a win would ensure it heads into the final weekend of the season in the top four.</p>
<p>Lorenzo Insigne’s free kick came off the crossbar in the first half but the Napoli captain broke the deadlock 11 minutes after the break.</p>
<p>Napoli was awarded a penalty when Nikola Milenković tugged Amir Rrahmani’s shirt on a corner. Insigne’s spot kick was saved by Pietro Terracciano but the Italy international tucked away the rebound.</p>
<p>Insigne hit the woodwork again before Napoli doubled its lead 11 minutes later after Piotr Zieliński’s shot was deflected in by Fiorentina defender Lorenzo Venuti for an own-goal.</p>
<p>FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL</p>
<p>Benevento’s survival chances are out of its hands after the team could only draw 1-1 against 10-man Crotone.</p>
<p>If Torino avoids defeat against Lazio in Tuesday’s rescheduled game, then Benevento will be relegated. If not, Benevento has to beat Torino in their final match.</p>
<p>Crotone played for more than an hour with 10 men after defender Vladimir Golemić was sent off for a cynical challenge on Gianluca Lapadula. But it still managed to snatch an equalizer in stoppage time through Simy.</p>
<p>Already-relegated Parma lost 3-1 at home to Sassuolo, and Sampdoria won 1-0 at Udinese.</p>