Massimiliano Allegri paid no attention to Juventus' Serie A points deduction as he declared his side will be facing Inter on Sunday to "defend second place".
The Bianconeri were served with a 15-point deduction in January for financial irregularities, sending them tumbling down the standings and facing a fierce fight to secure Champions League qualification for next season.
It's fair to say Serie A sides have enjoyed themselves on the continental stage this season, with six Italian clubs reaching major European quarter-finals for the first time this century.
Three of those teams have been making waves in the Champions League, for which Luciano Spalletti's Napoli have been touted as genuine contenders after outscoring every other team in the competition.
Chelsea will face Real Madrid and Manchester City have been drawn against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final.
The Premier League duo are on a collision course to face each other in a mouth-watering semi-final tie should they see off their heavyweight last-eight opponents.
Romelu Lukaku's future is shrouded in uncertainty after Inter Milan director Beppe Marotta acknowledging the striker "is not yet the same" following a difficult second spell with the Nerazzurri.
The Belgium international enjoyed a prolific first stint with Inter between 2019 and 2021, scoring 64 goals in 95 appearances and helping them win the Scudetto in the latter year.
Inter Milan advanced to their first Champions League quarter-final in over a decade after holding out for a 1-0 aggregate victory against Porto.
Simone Inzaghi's side, who were 1-0 winners in the first leg at San Siro three weeks ago, saw out a hard-earned goalless draw at Estadio do Dragao to take them through.
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