Milan edged past Hellas Verona with a narrow 1-0 victory, thanks to a decisive moment from Adrien Rabiot. The midfielder reacted quickly to win possession in midfield before combining neatly with Rafael Leao, calmly finishing to secure three vital points.

Despite scoring the winner, Rabiot admitted the performance was far from perfect. "The important thing is winning and getting the points we need to achieve our objectives, but we made a lot of mistakes today. We could have played a lot better," he said. "We need to stay focused on qualifying for the Champions League."

The result left Milan firmly in control of second place, holding a healthy cushion over rivals chasing the final qualification spots. Under the guidance of Massimiliano Allegri, the club has rebuilt strongly after last season's disappointment, when they missed out on European competition.

Allegri confirmed his long-term focus remains with Milan amid speculation linking him to the national team. "No one has contacted me, and all my thoughts are on Milan. We've started something together and we'll continue it together," he said.

Meanwhile, Juventus secured a 2-0 home win over Bologna FC 1909 to stay firmly in the race. Goals from Jonathan David and Khephren Thuram ensured a comfortable evening for the hosts.

David opened the scoring with a well-timed header from Pierre Kalulu's cross, marking his first goal in several weeks. Thuram doubled the advantage early in the second half, finishing another well-worked move assisted by Weston McKennie.

The match also carried an emotional pre-match tribute to former goalkeeper Alexander Manninger, with club legends Gianluigi Buffon, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini leading the remembrance.

Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti will be pleased with his side's progress as they continue to close the gap on Milan, with only a handful of matches remaining in the season.

With rivals dropping points elsewhere, both Milan and Juventus have placed themselves in a strong position to secure Champions League football, but as Rabiot's comments suggested, consistency and focus will be key in the decisive weeks ahead.

Ivory Coast's Simon Adingra radiant in the afterglow of AFCON triumph