Bianconeri end season on a high

By Paolo Menicucci

Udinese Calcio will enter the third qualifying round of next season's UEFA Champions League after pipping UC Sampdoria to fourth place on the final day of the Serie A season.

Draw enough
Champions Juventus FC, who finished with a 4-2 home win against Cagliari Calcio, had already booked their place in next season's competition proper along with second-placed AC Milan. So the focus was on the race to join FC Internazionale Milano in the qualifying rounds - and a 1-1 draw against Milan proved enough for Udinese.

Sampdoria held
Luciano Spalletti's side took the lead after eleven minutes at the Friuli stadium when David Di Michele dribbled past Giuseppe Pancaro and beat Dida with a precise left-footed shot. Serginho's equaliser five minutes from time did not prevent Udinese's celebrations, because Sampdoria could only manage a draw against Bologna FC at the Dall'Ara stadium.

Woodwork woes
The Blucerchiati hit the post three times but a goalless draw meant they were forced to settle for a UEFA Cup berth, while opponents Bologna will face Parma FC in a two-legged 'spareggio' play-off to avoid relegation.

Double dismissal
A fantastic overhead kick by Alberto Gilardino rescued a 3-3 draw for Parma at US Lecce but victories for ACF Fiorentina and AC Siena against Brescia Calcio and Atalanta BC respectively condemned them to the play-off. The Gialloblú finished the game with nine men after Matteo Contini and Domenico Morfeo were both sent off.

Safety assured
Fiorentina defeated Brescia 3-0 with Fabrizio Miccoli's penalty followed by second-half goals from Martin Jorgensen and Christian Rigono. Siena's win was a tighter affair, Atalanta's Igor Budan cancelling out Enrico Chiesa's opener before Stefano Argilli's 80th-minute goal made it 2-1.

Mutu debut
Gianfranco Zola scored twice for Cagliari at the Delle Alpi but it was not enough to prevent Juventus cruising to victory. Alessandro Del Piero and Stephen Appiah scored either side of David Trezeguet's double for the Bianconeri, for whom Adrian Mutu made his debut as a 57th-minute substitute.

Lucarelli capocanonniere
Elsewhere, Inter were held 0-0 by Reggina Calcio, a result mirrored by AS Roma and AC Chievo Verona in Rome. US Città di Palermo celebrated their UEFA Cup qualification with a 3-3 draw against S.S. Lazio, while AS Livorno Calcio striker Cristiano Lucarelli finished as Serie A's top scorer after his 24th goal of the season in his side's 1-1 draw with FC Messina Peloro.