This week’s European results saw Serie A once again narrow the coefficient gap to the English Premier League.
The top three Leagues on UEFA’s coefficients get four places in the Champions League, while fourth-place, currently occupied by Italy, gets only three.
Serie A sides were undefeated in Europe this week, with Juventus drawing and Roma, Lazio, Fiorentina and Napoli all picking up wins.
This week’s European results saw Serie A once again narrow the coefficient gap to the English Premier League.
The top three Leagues on UEFA’s coefficients get four places in the Champions League, while fourth-place, currently occupied by Italy, gets only three.
Serie A sides were undefeated in Europe this week, with Juventus drawing and Roma, Lazio, Fiorentina and Napoli all picking up wins.
English sides also performed well, with only Arsenal losing while Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur all won.
However, ranking points are divided by the number of teams entering Europe at the start of the season, with Serie A having six, and the Premier League having eight.
Southampton and West Ham United are already out of European competition, while only Sampdoria have been eliminated of the Italian teams.
That means that after this week’s results, there are currently 3.72 points between the Premier League and Serie A in the fight for third-place.
If the Italian coefficient can overtake the English one by the end of the season, Serie A will have four Champions League places for the 2017/18 season.
Serie A outperformed the Premier League by 5.429 points last season, with Juventus reaching the Champions League final, and Napoli and Fiorentina going to the semi-finals of the Europa League.
Even if Italian sides cannot overhaul their English counterparts this season, as things stand they would begin next season with a 0.17 point advantage.
This is because the coefficient is calculated over a five-year average, with the 2011/12 season dropping off once this campaign is completed.
In that season, England picked up 15.250 points, while Italy managed just 11.357.
Therefore, if Serie A can defend the coefficient place next season, Italy would receive four Champions League spots for 2018/19.