Spezia and Hellas Verona face a relegation play-off following a dramatic final day of the Serie A season.

The two sides started the day level on points and could not be separated after both suffered defeats away from home.

Dimitris Nikolaou gave Spezia the lead against Europa League runners-up Roma after just six minutes, but Nicola Zalewski equalised just before half-time and Paulo Dybala held his nerve to convert a 90th-minute penalty.

The spot-kick was awarded after Kelvin Amian fouled Stephan El Shaarawy, with Amian sent off for a second bookable offence.

Verona were on course for the point against AC Milan which would have been enough for safety when Davide Faraoni’s 72nd-minute goal cancelled out Olivier Giroud’s penalty, but Rafael Leao scored twice in the closing minutes to give the Rossoneri a 3-1 win.

After the match, Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic announced his retirement from football at the age of 41.

The first relegation play-off since Bologna faced Parma in 2005 will take place at a neutral venue next weekend.

At the other end of the table, Atalanta thrashed 10-man Monza 5-2 to secure a Europa League place along with Roma, with Juventus set for the Europa Conference League despite a 1-0 win at Udinese.

Champions Napoli ended the season with a 2-0 win over bottom side Sampdoria, Victor Osimhen scoring his 26th goal of the season from the penalty spot after being fouled in the area and Giovanni Simeone rifling home from distance five minutes from time.

A potentially dramatic battle in LaLiga failed to produce any real fireworks as Real Valladolid were relegated following a 0-0 home draw with Getafe.

Six teams were in danger of joining the already-relegated Espanyol and Elche in going down, but Valladolid started and ended the day in the bottom three following a disappointing stalemate.

Celta Vigo made certain of survival with a 2-1 win over champions Barcelona thanks to a brace from Gabri Veiga.

Barcelona ended the season 10 points clear of runners-up Real Madrid after Karim Benzema marked his final appearance for the capital club with the equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Athletic Bilbao.

Benzema scored a 72nd-minute penalty to cancel out Oihan Sancet’s opener early in the second half.

In Belgium, Toby Alderweireld fired in a stunning last-gasp goal to help Royal Antwerp win their first league title since 1957.

The former Tottenham defender – who joined his hometown club last summer – equalised in the fourth minute of stoppage time from outside the box as Antwerp rescued a 2-2 draw against title rivals Genk.

The goal meant Antwerp edged out both Genk and Union Saint-Gilloise by just one point to win the Belgian league title for only the fifth time in their history.

Milan's hopes of finishing in Serie A's top four received another blow on Saturday as they were beaten 2-0 by relegation-threatened Spezia.

The Rossoneri headed to Stadio Alberto Picco on a seven-match league unbeaten run but still stinging from Wednesday's 2-0 first-leg defeat to city rivals Inter in the Champions League semi-finals.

Stefano Pioli's men put in another frustrating display against stubborn Spezia, twice denied by the post before Przemyslaw Wisniewski and Salvatore Esposito struck late on as the hosts claimed three points for the first time in nine league games.

The result means fifth-placed Milan remain two points behind fourth-placed Inter and three ahead of Roma, though both of those teams could yet take advantage of their latest slip-up this weekend, leaving the Rossoneri with work to do to attain Champions League qualification. 

Milan hit the woodwork seven minutes in through Sandro Tonali, who sent a low effort flying towards the bottom-left corner but watched it come back off the post.

Bartlomiej Dragowski then made a crucial stop to tip Theo Hernandez's rasping drive over the crossbar as Milan failed to break through Spezia's resilient defence.

The hosts went close shortly after the break as Mehdi Bourabia curled just over from range, while Brahim Diaz hit the outside of the post for Milan from a very tight angle.

Spezia hit the front with 15 minutes remaining, Kelvin Amian hitting the post from a corner before Wisniewski poked in the rebound to send the home fans into raptures.

Their victory was made safe five minutes from time, Esposito curling a delightful free-kick over the wall and into the top-left corner as Milan's dismal week ended on another sour note. 

Simone Inzaghi warned Inter must show more "conviction and malice" after they slumped to a 2-1 Serie A defeat at relegation-threatened Spezia on Friday.

Bartlomiej Dragowski saved an early Lautaro Martinez penalty to set the tone for a miserable night for Nerazzurri, who failed to reduce runaway leaders Napoli's 15-point lead.

Daniel Maldini stunned Inter when the on-loan Milan attacking midfielder put Spezia in front just 10 minutes after being introduced as a half-time substitute.

Romelu Lukaku showed Martinez how it's done by equalising with a spot-kick after 83 minutes, but M'Bala Nzola gave Spezia a first win over Inter when he scored a penalty of his own four minutes later after Denzel Dumfries barged Viktor Kovalenko over.

Inter had 28 shots as they dominated much of the game, but slumped to an eighth Serie A defeat of the season as they prepare to take a 1-0 lead to Porto for a huge Champions League round-of-16 second leg on Tuesday.

Head coach Inzaghi knows the Nerazzurri only have themselves to blame.

He told DAZN: "It hurts, the defeat came in a different way than the others. We put everything on the field, perhaps we needed a little more malice.

"We have a duty to go ahead and I take responsibility for the defeat. We should have been more cynical, we come out stronger from defeats even if there have been more this year."

Six of Inter's eight Serie A defeat this season have come on their travels and Inzaghi says that must be addressed.

"It's a path that doesn't satisfy us away from San Siro, tonight we had to have more conviction and malice," he said.

"I don't believe in luck in football, luck must be sought,"

M'Bala Nzola's late penalty punished wasteful Inter and gave Serie A strugglers Spezia a shock 2-1 victory on Friday.

The Nerazzurri's slim title hopes are surely over after they were beaten by relegation-threatened Spezia for the first time at Stadio Alberto Picco.

Bartlomiej Dragowski saved an early Lautaro Martinez penalty, and that was a sign of things to come as toothless second-placed Inter dominated the majority of the game but lacked a cutting edge.

Daniel Maldini, on loan from Inter's fierce rivals Milan, put Spezia in front just under 10 minutes after coming on as a substitute at half-time, but Romelu Lukaku's late spot-kick looked to have salvaged a point.

Nzola had the final say by slotting home from 12 yards out after Denzel Dumfries barged Viktor Kovalenko over, ensuring Inter remain 15 points behind runaway leaders Napoli.

Romelu Lukaku is "giving excellent signals" following a timely return to form, according to Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi.

The Belgium international has scored just four goals for the Nerazzurri since returning on loan from Chelsea last June.

Two of those have come in his last four appearances - including the winner in the first leg of Inter's Champions League last-16 tie with Porto.

The striker is just one goal away from becoming only the fourth player to score 50 times in Serie A and the Premier League, after Gianfranco Zola, Edin Dzeko and Cristiano Ronaldo.

"We know his value, he came from a problematic period, and now he is giving excellent signals," Inzaghi said of Lukaku during his press conference ahead of Inter's clash with Spezia on Friday. 

"He trains in the best way every day, he scored an important goal against Porto, and we want him to continue to raise the condition."

Second-placed Inter will be expected to cut the gap to runaway leaders Napoli to 12 points with victory over their 17th-placed opponents, who are just three points clear of the relegation zone.

The Nerazzurri saw a six-match unbeaten run ended with defeat at Bologna, but Inzaghi was pleased with his side's response in their routine 2-0 victory over Lecce. 

"We reacted well by having an excellent game against Lecce," he added. "We must continue like this, with this determination, also from tomorrow.

"[It will be] a difficult game, against a team that has a very specific goal for which it is fighting.

"They come from two draws in a row. We will have to interpret the game in the best way, doing simple things."

Massimiliano Allegri feels fortunate to work with World Cup winner Angel Di Maria after the winger scored at Spezia, where the Italian felt Juventus were lucky to triumph.

Di Maria came off the bench and lashed home a pinpoint finish into the bottom-left corner as Juve triumphed 2-0 after Moise Kean's first-half opener at Stadio Alberto Picco on Sunday.

The Argentina international has been directly involved in 10 goals (four goals, six assists) for Juve in all competitions this season.

That is the most of any Bianconeri player this term, contributing to a goal every 97 minutes on average, and Allegri remains grateful to work with the 35-year-old.

"I've always been lucky because in the teams I've coached I've been stuffed with champions. Di Maria is one of them," Allegri said of the forward, who signed a one-year deal ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.

"The bad luck is that he's 35, I would have liked him younger so he could play all the matches. He came in and did extraordinary things."

Di Maria has previously stated he would like to move back to Argentina this year or next, with a return to where he started his career at Rosario Central on the cards.

While Allegri was thankful for the impact of Di Maria, he was less than impressed with Juve's performance despite recording a third straight victory in Serie A.

Mattia Perrin was forced into seven saves, the most he has made in the league since August 15 against Sassuolo (also seven), as the Bianconeri held out for victory.

That was in stark contrast to Thursday's 1-1 Europa League play-off home draw with Nantes, who came from a goal behind, and Allegri acknowledged Juve were fortunate to win this time around.

"Football is strange: on Thursday we slip once and draw, today maybe you concede a goal on 1-0 and who knows," he continued.

"Football is this, there are games you deserve to win and you don't win, and you win others in which you deserve less. It is hard to explain."

Defeat left Spezia just two points above the relegation zone, yet Allegri believes they will have enough to beat the drop.

He added: "Playing here is always complicated. Spezia always creates something because they have quality. I think they have an excellent chance of saving themselves."

Juventus eased to their third straight Serie A victory after Moise Kean and Angel Di Maria struck in a 2-0 victory at relegation-threatened Spezia on Sunday.

Spezia sacked coach Luca Gotti in midweek and saw some improvements, yet Massimiliano Allegri's team still triumphed at Stadio Alberto Picco.

Kean's deadly 32nd-minute finish sent the visiting Juve on their way before substitute Di Maria drilled home in the second period to seal the three points.

Victory moved Juve to seventh, albeit nine points behind sixth-placed Atalanta and a place in Europe next season, while Spezia remain two above the relegation zone.

Dusan Vlahovic saw a cool finish ruled out for offside in a slow opening, while Danilo nodded narrowly wide after Spezia lost goalkeeper Bartlomiej Dragowski to an apparent hip injury.

Juve capitalised soon after as Filip Kostic's left-wing cross found Kean, who calmly swept a left-footed finish into the bottom-right corner past Federico Marchetti.

Eldor Shomurodov nodded just off target and Emmanuel Gyasi was unable to get the required touch on a bouncing ball past Mattia Perin as the struggling hosts looked to respond.

Kean headed a glorious chance from Alex Sandro's delivery wide after the interval before Danilo thwarted Shomurodov with a last-ditch block.

Di Maria, brought on for Kean, ended any hope of a Spezia fightback as he lashed low into the bottom-right corner from outside the area after 66 minutes.

Perrin produced an expert stop to deny Gyasi's ferocious effort as Juve held out for another triumph.

What does it mean? Juve continue to recover

With a Coppa Italia semi-final against Inter in April and hopes of a Europa League run, Allegri's side still have a chance of salvaging their season after their 15-point deduction last month.

Italy's top six may prove a step too far but Juve continue to recover after winning their sixth straight Serie A clash with Spezia, who have not scored at home in the league since a 2-2 draw with Atalanta on January 4.

If the Bianconeri can edge past Nantes in their Europa League play-off second leg, with the tie level at 1-1, Juve will be able to take pride in their response to the punishments.

Classy Kostic

Kostic continues to impress after signing from Eintracht Frankfurt in August, with yet another pinpoint assist coming from the left-hand side.

The Serbia international has created nine goals in all competitions this season, only Napoli's in-form Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (12) has managed more assists among Serie A players.

Defensive solidity key for Juve

Juve have kept a clean sheet in four of their six league victories over Spezia, with the defensive resilience of Allegri's men a notable factor this season.

The Bianconeri have won the most Serie A games this term without their defence being breached (14), the last time they managed more shutouts after 23 league games was in the 1977-78 campaign (16).

What's next?

Juve visit Nantes in the aforementioned European clash on Thursday, before hosting fierce rivals Torino five days later in Serie A.

Massimiliano Allegri insists he is not nervous amid reports suggesting his position as Juventus coach is at risk, saying critics cannot argue with his achievements in Turin.

Juventus benefitted from a late VAR reprieve in a 1-0 win over Fiorentina in Serie A last Sunday, before being pegged back by Nantes in a 1-1 Europa League draw on Thursday.

Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport reported Allegri is clinging to his job in his second stint with the club, amid a frustrating campaign which has seen them exit the Champions League at the first hurdle and receive a 15-point deduction in Serie A after an investigation into historic transfer dealings.

Allegri was seen arguing with a supporter in the aftermath of Juve's last league outing, but he claims he is not feeling the pressure.

"I'm not nervous," Allegri said at a press conference to preview Sunday's trip to Spezia. "Something happened with someone booing the players for no reason.

"The other night it was perhaps the wrong reaction, and I can accept criticism for many things, but there is one thing, we shouldn't talk about facts. There's no arguing about that.

"I accept that they say that I'm a poor coach and my teams suck because that's part of the criticism. But there's no arguing about the numbers."

Allegri led Juventus to five successive Serie A titles and two Champions League finals during his first spell with the club between 2014 and 2019, but he oversaw the Bianconeri's first trophyless campaign since 2010-11 last season.

Following Thursday's draw with Nantes, Juventus have won just one of their last eight matches in European competitions (D1 L6), though they did at least avoid suffering four consecutive continental defeats for the first time.

Allegri rejects the notion Juve's critics should be more understanding given the off-pitch turmoil impacting the club, and says they have plenty to play for in the remainder of the campaign.

"We don't need understanding," he said. "We have to try to do our best. We have to make an important climb in the league, it's important for us to score a certain amount of points regardless of what happens outside.

"It's a pity, the Europa, but it's proof that there aren't any easy games in Europe and so we'll have to go to Nantes and try to play a game that will allow us to go through, and we have the chance.

"Then we have the semi-final of the Coppa Italia and we'll see there too."

Serie A strugglers Salernitana have appointed Paulo Sousa as their new head coach after parting company with Davide Nicola for the second time in a month.

Nicola was rehired on January 18 just two days after departing the club, but three defeats in four league games since then has led to another parting of the ways.

Salernitana confirmed the news on their official website on Wednesday, with the announcement of Sousa's arrival following moments later.

Sousa takes charge of his 12th different club, and his second in the Italian top flight following a two-year spell at Fiorentina.

The 52-year-old more recently managed Poland at Euro 2020 and spent six months with Flamengo before being dismissed in June.

Salernitana are 16th in Serie A, five points above the relegation zone with 16 games to play.

Fellow strugglers Spezia also parted company with head coach Luca Gotti on Wednesday after collecting just one point from their past four matches.

Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti is plotting an offensive on two fronts in the final months of the season as he hopes to win Serie A and the Champions League.

Spalletti's side were comfortable 3-0 winners away to Spezia on Sunday, briefly increasing their lead at the summit to 16 points.

Inter had the chance to trim Napoli's lead to 13 points later in the day, as they chased victory in the Milan derby, but even that gap would appear to be unassailable given the form of the front-runners this season.

If Napoli do manage to win the domestic title, it will end a barren run that stretches back to 1990 and be their first without the inspirational influence of Diego Maradona, who was also behind their success three years earlier.

Winning Serie A would be momentous, but Napoli are also into the last 16 of the Champions League and face Eintracht Frankfurt next – the Naples side have never won Europe's premier competition, nor its predecessor, the European Cup.

Spalletti wants to put that right.

"There are moments in life when results are achieved and in those moments you either settle or try to double down," he told Sky Sport Italia.

"We have no doubts, we've decided to double down.

"We go and play the matches trying to do something for the love of the fans, for the people who were perhaps even today at home praying for us because they love us. We must be proud of that."

Napoli's key men – Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen – got the goals, with the latter netting twice.

Kvaratskhelia – who also teed up Osimhen's second – became only the fifth player across the top five European leagues to reach double figures for goals (10) and assists (12) this season.

Meanwhile, Osimhen's brace made him just the fourth Napoli player ever to score 16 times in the first 21 matches of a Serie A campaign.

But both were the targets of verbal barrages from Spalletti in the first half – that seemed to do the trick.

"It was because we need their quality, their inspiration, their imagination," Spalletti said. "When the matches flatten out, they are the ones who can make the difference and open the way.

"You have to find the first striker, play it out wide to open up the channels. Just moving it around isn't enough.

"The pitch was very difficult, dry underneath, it wasn't easy to find the rhythm we're used to, so sometimes you have to play direct to Osimhen, making the most of the fact he's really strong from a physical point of view."

Napoli are next in action in a week's time, on Sunday, February 12, when they host winless Cremonese.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen ruthlessly punished three defensive errors as Napoli beat Spezia 3-0 to increase their lead at the Serie A summit to 16 points.

Luciano Spalletti's side may not have been at their swashbuckling best but produced a professional display at Stadio Alberto Picco on Sunday and never looked at risk of dropping points once they edged in front.

An uneventful first half brought few clear-cut chances, but Napoli took charge of the contest just a minute into the second, with Kvaratskhelia coolly converting a penalty.

Another mistake allowed Osimhen to score for the fifth league game in a row, and he netted again soon after as Spezia proved to be their own worst enemies.

Both sides looked purposeful early on, with Kevin Agudelo threatening first as he blazed over following a driving run.

Mattia Caldara then chested a Mario Rui cross just wide of his own goal at the other end, and from the subsequent corner Giovanni Di Lorenzo went agonisingly close with a glancing header.

Proceedings soon calmed significantly, but Spezia gifted Napoli the breakthrough via a penalty concession a minute after the restart.

Arkadiusz Reca blatantly handled the ball in the box and Kvaratskhelia slammed home his spot-kick.

Osimhen was then on hand to capitalise on Ethan Ampadu's sliced clearance with 68 minutes played, nodding in above Dimitris Nikolaou and Bartlomiej Dragowski.

The two goalscorers linked up five minutes later to finish Spezia off.

Caldara inexplicably coughed up possession just outside his own box, allowing Kvaratskhelia to tee Osimhen up for a tap-in.

Arsenal have further bolstered their squad for their Premier League title run-in with the signing of centre-back Jakub Kiwior from Serie A side Spezia.

The English top-flight leaders missed out on Mykhaylo Mudryk earlier in the window, but they have now brought in Leandro Trossard and Kiwior this month.

Poland international Kiwior has signed a "long-term contract" at Emirates Stadium, the club said, with Arsenal reported to have paid Spezia £22million (€25m).

"It's great that Jakub is joining us," said Mikel Arteta. "He's a young versatile defender who has shown huge potential and qualities with Spezia in Serie A, and also at international level with Poland.

"Jakub is a player who will give us strength and quality to our defensive unit. We welcome Jakub and his family to Arsenal and look forward to working with him."

Kiwior still had two and a half years to run on his deal with Spezia, whom he made 43 appearances for after joining from Slovakian side Zilina in August 2021.

He featured 17 times in Serie A this season and ranks joint-third for blocks (18) and fifth for clearances (68) among all defenders in the division.

The former Anderlecht youngster also started all four of Poland's matches at the 2022 World Cup, helping his side to clean sheets against Mexico and Saudi Arabia.

Kiwior will primarily provide cover and competition for Gabriel Magalhaes, who has played every minute for Arsenal in the Premier League this season. 

The new signing was in the stands at Emirates Stadium on Sunday to see Arsenal beat Manchester United, maintaining a five-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table.

Stefano Pioli believes the character of his Milan side is "second to none" after the reigning Serie A champions secured a late win against Spezia on Saturday.

Olivier Giroud came off the bench at San Siro to score an 89th-minute winner in the 2-1 victory, though was then sent off for a second booking after removing his shirt while celebrating.

Pioli was full of praise for the mental strength of his team after the win, which took Milan up to second and back to within six points of league leaders Napoli after the latter beat Atalanta.

"Our mentality is to believe in what we do," he told Sky. "As far as character is concerned, we are second to none."

Theo Hernandez put Milan in front with a first-half volley from close range, only for Daniel Maldini - son of Milan legend and technical director Paolo - to equalise against his parent club with Spezia's first away goal of the season.

Maldini's goal came 5,333 days after his father's last one at San Siro in March 2008.

Pioli did not seem to mind Maldini scoring, particularly because his team eventually secured the win, and declared that his father was able to experience the best of both worlds, with his son scoring and his team winning.

"Daniel Maldini's goal? It was the perfect evening for Paolo," the Rossoneri head coach joked.

"The match was difficult, we made it complicated... I liked the first half, [but] we have to work to close the game early."

On Giroud's red, with the French striker later claiming he had forgotten he was on a yellow card, Pioli said: "He is a very strong guy, and I am very happy with his performances.

"Tonight, he was naive."

Olivier Giroud was "angry" with himself for forgetting he had already been booked when he whipped off his shirt to celebrate scoring Milan's late winner against Spezia.

Giroud came off the bench to snatch a 2-1 victory for the Rossoneri with an 89th-minute volley after being picked out by a superb Sandro Tonali pass.

The France striker was then given his marching orders, having been shown a yellow card six minutes before scoring his decisive goal.

Giroud has been in the thick of the action this week, scoring two goals and providing as many assists in a 4-0 thrashing of Salzburg that put Stefano Pioli's side in the Champions League round of 16.

The 36-year-old was frustrated that his earlier caution had slipped his mind after his clinical finish in the closing stages at San Siro.

"It was certainly a very nice goal, which came thanks to Tonali's assist," he told Sky Sport. "We wanted to win this match, the important thing is to have three points more in the standings but I'm angry because I forgot about the first yellow card."

Asked if he was not thinking clearly due to the ecstasy of scoring the winner, he replied: "Yes, football is like that. The adrenaline and the happiness of having given victory to the team after a difficult match has affected me.

"In my head I am still a child, but I have great faith in the team and also on Tuesday [against Cremonese] we will fight to win the three points."

Theo Hernandez put Milan in front with a first-half volley from close range, but Daniel Maldini equalised against his parent club with Spezia's first away goal of the season.

Tonali had a goal ruled out at 1-1 for a foul on M'Bala Nzola by Fikayo Tomori following a VAR check, but Giroud moved them six points behind Napoli in second place after the leaders beat Atalanta 2-1 earlier on Saturday.

Olivier Giroud scored a late winner and was sent off for his celebration as Milan beat Spezia 2-1 to go second in Serie A.

Theo Hernandez put the Rossoneri on course for back-to-back wins after they hammered Salzburg to qualify for the Champions League round of 16 in midweek.

Daniel Maldini, son of Milan legend Paolo, then stunned his parent club by scoring Spezia's first away goal of the season to equalise in the second half.

There was late drama at San Siro, though, as Giroud came off the bench to volley an 89th-minute winner before being shown a second yellow card for whipping off his shirt.