Inter takes control of the Scudetto race: a victory in Bergamo and Napoli’s stumble in Venice create a turning point. The Champions League battle is wide open.
With a 2-0 victory away at Atalanta, Inzaghi’s Inter takes a decisive step toward the title, capitalizing on yet another misstep from Napoli, held to a 0-0 draw in Venice. The Bergamo clash was a classic “six-pointer,” and it delivered as such: looking at the standings, had Atalanta won, they would have caught up with both Inter and Napoli at the top, creating a thrilling scenario where all three teams would have been tied on 61 points. Instead, the Nerazzurri pulled six points clear of Gasperini’s side and three ahead of Conte’s, gaining a significant advantage heading into the final stretch.
Everything is now in Inter’s hands, but it’s too soon to assume the race is over. Inzaghi’s team is the only one still competing on three fronts, with a crucial Champions League quarterfinal showdown against Bayern Munich and a two-legged Coppa Italia semifinal derby against Milan coming up. The physical and mental toll will be considerable compared to Napoli and Atalanta, who can now fully focus on Serie A.
The Champions League battle has become even more unpredictable and thrilling, with Lazio and Juventus suffering heavy defeats in direct clashes against Bologna and Fiorentina, opening up scenarios that seemed unthinkable just weeks ago. The hottest team in Serie A right now is Claudio Ranieri’s Roma, which has performed a near-miracle, bringing the Giallorossi within just four points of fourth place and a Champions League spot for next season. A couple of months ago, when such a comeback seemed impossible, we had predicted that Roma could make a late push based on a favorable mid-term schedule, though their final stretch looked much tougher. Now, having put together 13 consecutive positive results, the real challenge begins: in the last eight matchdays, Roma will face six high-stakes clashes against Juventus, Lazio, Inter, Fiorentina, Atalanta, and Milan. Before entering this brutal cycle, they will visit Giampaolo’s Lecce, a team coming off four straight defeats and fully immersed in the relegation battle.
Speaking of the relegation battle, special mention must go to Eusebio Di Francesco’s Venezia. Over the last four matchdays, they have held Lazio, Atalanta (away), and Napoli to draws, as well as surprising the league with a strong performance against Como. Their defensive solidity (just one goal conceded in these four games) and their refusal to give up on survival, despite being widely written off, show a team that is still fighting to stay up.
Back to the European race, six teams within six points are battling for three continental spots, one per competition. Bologna has firmly claimed fourth place, which would mark a sensational return to the Champions League following last season’s breakthrough under Thiago Motta. Italiano’s side, cheered on by a euphoric Dall’Ara crowd, demolished Lazio with a stunning 5-0 victory. This crushing defeat shakes Baroni’s certainties, as his team drops from a Champions League spot to sixth place, which only guarantees a Conference League berth. With Roma just two points behind and a crucial derby looming in three matchdays, Lazio’s position is anything but secure.
Lazio’s collapse is perhaps second only to that of Juventus. In terms of scoreline, the Bianconeri’s 3-0 loss in Florence was less dramatic than Lazio’s five-goal humiliation, but Juventus’ decline over the past month has been equally relentless. Their downfall includes elimination from the Champions League at the hands of PSV, a Coppa Italia exit against Empoli, and a disastrous 4-0 home defeat to Atalanta in the last Serie A matchday. Simply put, Juventus looks lost, and Motta’s position is increasingly precarious. Finding the strength for a final push seems an almost impossible task, and Giuntoli’s post-match statement reaffirming the club’s belief in the Motta project felt like a desperate attempt to keep the sinking ship afloat.
Finally, a word on Milan. Just as they struggled against Lecce, the Rossoneri found it tough against Como as well, ultimately winning thanks to controversial moments—a marginal offside call that disallowed Como’s second goal and Dele Alli’s late red card. These incidents kept Milan in the European race, but if they truly want to break into the Champions League spots, they will need much more than that.
