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Massimiliano Allegri had insisted all season long that Juventus' primary goal was Champions League qualification. "It doesn't matter if we seal it with the last minute of the last game," he argued on DAZN in March, "the important thing is that we get it."
As it transpired, Juve wouldn't have to rely on any final-day drama to get back in the big time. A top-five finish was sealed on Sunday, and with two rounds remaining, but the manner of the qualification has done absolutely nothing to ease the pressure on Allegri.
The Bianconeri didn't even manage to get over the line themselves; they were inadvertently nudged over it by Atalanta. After Juve had been held to a humiliating 1-1 draw at home by already-relegated Salernitana, who picked up just their 16th point of the season in Turin, the Bergamaschi boosted their own Champions League bid by beating sixth-placed Roma.
However, the very same Atalanta side that did Allegri a massive favour on Sunday night could kill off any lingering hope he has of holding onto his job in Wednesday evening's Coppa Italia final at the Stadio Olimpico.