AC Milan’s British defender Fikayo Tomori (L) fights for the ball with Chelsea’s English midfielder … [+]
AFP via Getty Images
Matchday 4 of the UEFA Champions League brought bad news for Italian sides Juventus and AC Milan, whose qualification hopes to the Round of 16 are seriously in peril following last night’s defeats in the respective group stage.
Failing to advance to the tournament’s next phase would mean missing out on at least €9.6 million ($9.3m) in qualification bonus, besides suffering the reputational damage of being left out from Europe’s elite 16 soccer teams.
HAIFA, ISRAEL – OCTOBER 11: Angel Di Maria (R) of Juventus in action against Dylan Batubinsika (L) … [+]
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Earlier on Tuesday night, Juventus were upset 2-0 by Israeli side Maccabi Haifa, who clinched their first three points in this UEFA Champions League edition.
Juventus have so far recorded a win and three losses in Group H, collecting just $2.7 million in performance-based rewards, according to UEFA’s prize money distribution for 2022/23.
They now sit third in the group stage table, five points shy of second-placed Benfica as well as first-placed Paris Saint-Germain, with a tough schedule awaiting them: They are hosting Kylian Mbappe’s PSG in a must-win game at Allianz Stadium before traveling to Portugal to face Benfica. Even beating both opponents, which would be a feat considering the team’s current form, might not suffice for Juventus to book a slot in the prestigious UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
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Despite last night’s poor display in Haifa, Juventus president Andrea Agnelli spoke clearly about the club’s intentions as far as the manager: Massimiliano Allegri will not be sacked.
Juventus remain the only Italian club to have come close to lifting the UEFA Champions League trophy over the last decade.
The Bianconeri reached the competition’s final in 2015 and 2017, losing to Lionel Messi’s Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real Madrid, respectively.
MILAN, ITALY – OCTOBER 11: Stefano Pioli Head coach of AC Milan discusses with the Referee Daniel … [+]
Getty Images
The AC Milan game was at the center of huge controversy for a questionable penalty-kick assigned to rivals Chelsea in the early stages of the game, an episode that also caused the Rossoneri defender Fikayo Tomori to be ejected from the field.
That call, which continues to spark fierce debates on Italy’s sports television channels and social media, ignited the anger of the 70,000 fans attending the event, who kept on booing the referee for the remainder of the match at Stadio San Siro.
Theo Hernandez of Ac Milan during the UEFA Champions League Group E, football match between Ac Milan … [+]
NurPhoto via Getty Images
Chelsea, who took the lead following Jorginho’s penalty-kick conversion, went on to score another goal and then made the most of the numerical advantage by controlling the tempo of the game, which they comfortably won 2-0.
The upside for AC Milan, who have a 1-1-2 record in Group E, is that they can still secure a spot in the Round of 16 by winning the two remaining group stage matches. At least on paper, this does not look like an impossible feat, considering that Stefano Pioli’s men are battling Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb and Austrian club RB Salzburg.
By qualifying to the next phase, teams can count on the increasing amount of prize money that UEFA set aside for the tournament, starting with the $9.3 million bonus that they will receive for making the Round of 16. The last time AC Milan reached this stage dates back to 2014, when club’s legends like Kaka and Robinho featured in the starting lineup.
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