Serie A continues to deliver emotions and surprises: the midweek rescheduled match on Thursday, which was expected to see Inter catch up with Napoli at the top, instead produced a verdict completely opposite to expectations. Fiorentina dismantled the Nerazzurri with a perfect second half, starting with Ranieri’s goal and sealed by Moise Kean’s stunning brace for a shocking and definitive 3-0 victory. An unexpected gift for Antonio Conte’s Napoli, who can now put behind the missed opportunity at the Stadio Olimpico and prepare for Sunday night’s match against Udinese with the confidence of being sole leaders, three points ahead of Inter, and this time with an equal number of games played.
Inter will take the field only 24 hours after the Partenopei, possibly carrying the burden of being six points behind if Napoli secures a home win against Udinese. Visiting San Siro will be none other than Fiorentina. A twist of fate and a congested schedule have set up the recovery match at the Franchi just days before the return fixture between the two sides. It almost feels like a 180-minute knockout tie, except that the stakes are different for each team. Inter is fighting to stay in the Scudetto race, while Fiorentina is battling to remain in contention for a Champions League spot.
Speaking of the title race, the match in Verona seems to be a last call for Gasperini’s Atalanta, who have won just one of their last five Serie A games. Having slipped to four points behind Inter and seven behind Napoli, La Dea finds itself at a crucial crossroads in the season. If they fail to close the gap on the top two—or at least maintain the same distance—they risk being pulled into the less glamorous Champions League battle, with Lazio and Fiorentina only five points behind, and Juventus and Milan eager to climb back into contention.
After several big matches last weekend, Matchday 24—apart from the Milan showdown between Inter and Fiorentina—does not feature other direct clashes. Juventus faced Como in the Friday night opener, securing a hard-fought victory in line with pre-match predictions. Atalanta will travel to Verona on Saturday afternoon, while later that evening, Milan will visit Empoli. On Sunday, Lazio will host Monza, Bologna will play away at Lecce, and Napoli will take on Udinese at the Maradona. In theory, all the teams competing for European spots have manageable fixtures, but surprises and lapses in concentration must be avoided because every match in this Serie A holds hidden dangers.
The same applies to Roma, who, due to a disastrous start to the season, now find themselves in a “no man’s land” in the league. Despite winning three of their last five games, the Giallorossi are still ninth, four points behind Milan and six behind Bologna, who still need to make up their postponed match at the Dall’Ara due to bad weather. Even if Roma manages to catch up with Bologna and Milan, it wouldn’t necessarily bring them closer to a European spot, as both teams are currently outside of Europe as well, while Fiorentina, Lazio, and Juventus all hold a significant lead over Ranieri’s side. Right now, Roma’s situation is utterly hybrid: mid-table, with an 11-point cushion over the relegation zone but also 11 points behind the Champions League spots. If Roma’s goal this season was to dampen the enthusiasm and passion of a fan base that has been selling out stadiums for years, we can say they haven’t quite succeeded yet (but only thanks to the unconditional love of their supporters). However, they are certainly on the right path… or rather, the wrong one. It’s all a matter of perspective.
