By ,
Published May 03, 2016
Napoli, Italy (SportsNetwork.com) - Rafael Benitez will hope to exit Napoli with a win on Sunday at home against Lazio as the two sides square off with a Champions League place on the line.
Benitez confirmed this week that he will not be returning to Napoli next season, with the boss widely considered to be the favorite to land the manager position at Real Madrid, which relieved Carlo Ancelotti of his duties on Monday.
And while Benitez will be in charge of his final match he can give the club a big gift by helping his side secure three points against Lazio.
The capital club enters the match three points clear of Napoli in the race for the final Champions League spot. And although Lazio holds the edge in goal difference, Napoli won the first meeting between the two sides, meaning that another win would give Benitez's side the tie-breaker and third place.
Napoli enters the contest having won five of their last eight games in Serie A, while Lazio has lost two of their last three fixtures, including a 2-1 defeat to Roma on Monday in which Lazio could have locked up third place with a point.
Champions Juventus close out their campaign at Hellas Verona on Saturday with Juve having their sights firmly set on the Champions League final against Barcelona next weekend.
Roma clinched second place with the win over Lazio and finishes up the season and at home against Palermo.
Fiorentina will be headed to the Europa League next season and the Viola hosts Chievo, while European hopefuls Genoa travel to Sassuolo with the club having already clinched sixth place but still needing to be granted a UEFA license.
If Genoa fails to get that license, seventh-place Sampdoria would benefit and the club ends its campaign at home against last-place Parma.
AC Milan endured a disappointing season and it comes to a close at Atalanta on Saturday, Udinese hosts relegated Cagliari, Inter Milan entertains Empoli, and Cesena plays its last game in the top flight at Torino before being relegated to Serie B.
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/lazio-napoli-square-off-for-third-place