As we head into the final stretch of the season, Inter are still out in front, but the fixture list now seems to favor Napoli. Wins also for Juventus and Milan, while Fiorentina stumble again.
This year, Serie A has become synonymous with unpredictability. Surprises are now routine—just look at Atalanta. Once thought to be in free fall heading into their key matchup against high-flying Bologna, they instead secured a convincing 2-0 victory and firmly reasserted their Champions League ambitions.
Juventus, after crashing out of the Champions League, the Coppa Italia, and the Scudetto race in quick succession, seemed destined for another quiet end to the season. But the arrival of Igor Tudor—who has brought in 7 points from 3 matches—has vaulted the Bianconeri into a solitary fourth place. Whether or not Juve is truly convincing under Tudor is up for debate, but what counts is the table, which at the moment justifies the club’s decision to move on from Thiago Motta before the season’s end. Of course, in a season like this, nothing is certain.
Fiorentina continue to struggle with consistency. They swing between impressive highs—like the away win in Bergamo and the dominant home victory over Juve that cost Motta his job—and frustrating lows. Against Parma, they failed to score in a dull 0-0 draw at home, missing a golden opportunity to close in on the Champions League zone.
Roma are another case. The team seemed unstoppable during their seven-match winning streak that put them in the mix for fourth place. They’re now 16 matches unbeaten—dating back exactly four months to a December 15 loss in Como—but the injury to Dybala and a squad that appears weaker than those of their direct competitors may have stalled Ranieri’s remarkable run. The last two matches—direct clashes with Juve and Lazio—were telling. Roma looked slower and less sharp than their opponents and had to come from behind in both games to avoid defeat. Sunday night’s Rome Derby left Roma somewhat diminished. They failed to capitalize on Lazio’s midweek Europa League fatigue, and in fact, looked more drained than their city rivals for large portions of the match.
Overall, the Derby was a letdown: tense, at times bad-tempered, full of theatrics on both sides, and light on quality play. Lazio had more of the ball, but couldn’t turn their dominance into a win—due to their own shortcomings and a series of brilliant saves from Svilar, who may now be the best all-around goalkeeper in Serie A. The future of the Serbian-born Belgian shot-stopper is uncertain, though, as Roma have yet to meet his contract demands despite months of negotiations. Interest in him is growing—loud and clear.
Once upon a time, Inter’s San Siro anthem was “Pazza Inter Amala,” the soundtrack of their treble-winning season but also of the more chaotic years that followed. So much so that Antonio Conte insisted on retiring the song when he took over, declaring that Inter should no longer be “crazy,” but solid. These days, the lyrics might better suit Milan. Written off far too early by many, Conceição’s side showed real life with a resounding 4-0 win at Udinese. Milan clearly have a top-four roster and, having already won the Supercoppa in Riyadh, remain in contention for the Coppa Italia as well. It’s been a rollercoaster season—with Fonseca already sacked and Conceição’s future in serious doubt until just two weeks ago—but the Rossoneri could still end it with two trophies and a return to European competition. Which competition, though, remains to be seen. For now, Conceição’s future suddenly looks a lot brighter.
The relegation battle is just as unpredictable. Venezia, widely seen as the league’s least-equipped team, are punching above their weight thanks to a series of gritty draws and, most recently, a crucial head-to-head win over Monza. Di Francesco might finally break the string of bad luck that’s followed him since his 2019 sacking from Roma, culminating in last season’s final-day relegation with Frosinone.
There’s been no shake-up, though, at the top of the table: the Scudetto race is increasingly a two-horse contest between Inter and Napoli. Inter have the strongest squad in the league by some margin but are still active on three fronts. Upcoming Champions League matches against Bayern Munich and a Coppa Italia semifinal with Milan present both a golden opportunity—for a club openly aiming to repeat their 2010 treble—and a potential distraction in the title chase. Inzaghi will need to dig deep to keep his team mentally and physically sharp.
Napoli, under Conte, benefit from a far more forgiving schedule. With no more big matches on the horizon and no other competitions to focus on, they’re in prime position to apply pressure down the stretch. It’s hard to call a clear favorite right now—but one thing’s for sure: both teams will fight until the very end.
