After their Coppa Italia derby collapse, Inter face yet another brutal stretch that could define their season.
Just a week ago, Inter were still in the running for a historic treble—holding a three-point lead over Napoli in Serie A, preparing for a Coppa Italia semifinal (effectively at home) against Milan, and getting ready for a Champions League semifinal showdown with Barcelona.
Fast forward a few days, and back-to-back defeats to Bologna and Milan have completely shifted the outlook. Now, the specter of ending the season with “zero titles” (to quote Mourinho) looms larger than ever.
Their Coppa Italia campaign has ended in bitter disappointment—and in the worst possible way: a clear and, in some ways, humiliating loss to their city rivals Milan. It was their third derby defeat of the season, and with three wins and two draws in head-to-head matchups, Milan have been Inter’s true nemesis this year.
In Serie A, the title race with Napoli is now neck-and-neck after Inter squandered their entire advantage in the loss to Bologna. The remaining schedule favors Napoli, who don’t face any top opponents in their last five matches. Inter, meanwhile, still have to host both Roma and Lazio—two sides in the thick of the Champions League chase.
As for Europe, Inter’s path to Champions League glory runs through a daunting semifinal clash with Barcelona. The Spanish giants seem to be back to their best, with a new generation of young (and very young) stars. With five league games to go, they lead Real Madrid by four points and will face them this Saturday, April 26, in the Copa del Rey final. That Clásico could prove a distraction ahead of their meeting with Inter, but Flick’s side will still have key advantages: they host the first leg and avoid travel, plus they’ll have an extra day of rest since La Liga games will go ahead on Saturday—while Inter-Roma has been pushed to Sunday due to the funeral of Pope Francis.
From the Scudetto race to fighting for top-four, the drop is steep. Bologna, once again, were Inter’s undoing—just as they were in the 2021/22 season, when a shocking 2–1 loss (remember Radu’s howler?) handed the title to the Rossoneri. This time, though, Bologna are much stronger and far more self-aware. Italiano’s side is managing to outdo even Motta’s version from last year. They’re in the thick of the Champions League race, clinging to a slim but valuable lead over Juve, and now they’ve reached a historic Coppa Italia final as well.
Bologna could well be the surprise team of the season, but they’ll need to stay sharp on their upcoming trip to Udine. On paper, it’s a manageable match—Udinese are long since safe and appear to have mentally checked out, losing five straight league matches. Still, it’s a classic trap game: Bologna have everything to lose, and Udinese have nothing to prove or play for.
Juventus, Lazio, and Roma are all waiting for Bologna to slip up, hoping to pounce in the race for fourth. But none of them are fully in control of their own destiny.
In the relegation battle, Parma’s recent run under Chivu has effectively narrowed the fight to three teams—barring any late surprises. Monza are virtually doomed, saved only by math for now. That leaves Lecce, Venezia, and Empoli fighting for a single survival spot. Lecce have a one-point lead over both rivals, but also the worst form over the last five games—just one point, compared to six for Venezia and three for Empoli. To make matters worse, they face a daunting away trip to Atalanta—a match originally scheduled for tonight but moved to Sunday after the tragic death of Puglian team physio Graziano Fiorita, who passed away at training camp on the eve of the game. The emotional toll on Giampaolo’s squad is yet to be seen, as Fiorita was a deeply respected figure in the locker room.
Back to the field—the ultimate judge—Venezia, who looked doomed at the end of the first half of the season, never gave up. They probably deserve survival, as does manager Di Francesco, who’s been hit hard by misfortune in recent years—just look at last season’s final-day relegation with Frosinone. Venezia vs. Milan will be a crucial test for the Lagunari, who have already held both Lazio and Napoli at home. Meanwhile, Lecce head to Bergamo and Empoli travel to Florence in what promises to be a dramatic matchday.
There’s still so much left to be written in this thrilling and unpredictable Serie A season. With all the words said, starting Sunday, it’s time to let the pitch do the talking.
