By Jack Latham
A radio package containing interview clips with Italian football Journalist Nima Tavallaey Roodsari, who runs the Sempre Inter website and is co-host of the Italian Football Podcast.
A league that is often dismissed as being uncompetitive goes down to the final day, as Inter Milan and Napoli battle it out to be crowned the Scudetto champions.
Title Race
Napoli will enter the final game one point clear of Inter, who will also have one eye on the Champions League final against PSG on 31 May, where they will be hoping to claim their first UCL since the 2009/10 season.
The San Siro during the match against Udinese in March, where Inter survived a late scare to secure a 2-1 victory. (Video credits: Jack Latham)
In a change from previous seasons, the two teams will play their respective games on Friday night, whilst two teams play on Saturday and the rest round up Serie A on Sunday.
For Napoli, they will play host to Cagliari, who are now safe from relegation, whereas Inter Milan will travel to Como, who have enjoyed a successful return to Serie A under the guidance of Cesc Fabregas.
It has been frustrating at times for Inter Milan in recent weeks, with two consecutive losses to Bologna and Roma and most recently letting their lead slip twice to draw 2-2 with Lazio.
As for Napoli, Antonio Conte’s style of play has led to a lack of goals in recent weeks, with his team scoring just five goals in the last six games. A 0-0 draw with Parma last weekend capped off a dismal spell in front of goal, but the Gli Azzurri (the Blues) will know a win will seal the title on Friday.
Napoli superfan Valentino Buonanno, who has over 180,000 followers across social media under the alias the ‘Italian Striker,’ has been relatively surprised by his side’s season:
“I expected a season similar to last where we finished 10th.
“But with the right signings and Antonio Conte coming in, our fortunes have changed.
“Even though I do not believe we performed as well as we should in certain games, we find ourselves at the top of the table going into the last game of the season.”
Napoli will be hoping Scott McTominay carries on his scoring form on Friday night but will know that they have some defensive fragilities, with both Alessandro Buongiorno and Juan Jesus out. This will offer Cagliari chances to exploit Napoli’s makeshift backline, with Nadir Zortea and Roberto Piccoli the two main dangers.
Cagliari
Buonanno isn’t underestimating Cagliari and is expecting a stern test at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium:
“I expect a relentless Cagliari who will bring the game directly to us, even though they no longer have anything to play for.
“However, I do think the occasion of a sold-out Maradona stadium will get to them in terms of pressure, and they will fall short, allowing us to capitalise.”
Antonio Conte
Alessandro Bai, who writes for Football Italia as a Milan correspondent provides some analysis on Conte’s style of play:
“Conte has tried to bring some variations to his team this year, switching from 3-5-2 to a more versatile 4-3-3 or 3-4-2-1 at times.
“However, he still relies hugely on direct play, although not just to Romelu Lukaku but also making the most of physical players like McTominay and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa.
“As always, it has not been eye-catching but is really effective.”
Como
Inter Milan face a tougher test on paper as they deal with the youthfulness of Como, which includes former Real Madrid man Nico Paz and the exciting Maximo Perrone, who is on loan from Manchester City.
San Siro, the home of Inter Milan, who will be hoping to claim a second successive Serie A title on Friday night. (Photo credits: Jack Latham)
Inter will be hoping their three-at-the back formation helps them to win the midfield battle, as Nicolo Barella, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Hakan Calhanoglu will be trying to prevent Perrone and Maxence Caqueret from having too much time on the ball.
A short video clip showing the atmosphere at the San Siro after Inter Milan’s 2-1 victory over Udinese, with the players going over to thank the main stand. (Video credits: Jack Latham)
Bai, offers some insight into Como’s season and who to look out for:
“Como did something remarkable by finishing 10th – it’s true they have invested a lot, but watching them win so many games and playing so well was hard to expect.
“With young talents like Nico Paz and Assane Diao, Como have been very entertaining to watch and could push on either further next season.”
A short video clip showcasing Como’s scenic stadium. (Video credits: Jack Latham)
Race for Europe
Aside from the title, there is also a race for the remaining European spots, as a host of clubs can still make their way into the Champions League.
Juventus, Roma and Lazio can all still finish in the top four, with just two points separating Juventus in fourth place and Lazio in sixth place.
The surprise package has been Roma, though, who brought Claudio Ranieri in to steer them away from relegation and have ended up on the verge of the Champions League, after going on a 12-match unbeaten streak.
For Juventus, they have an away trip on the final day to Venezia, knowing a point will practically guarantee Champions League football. They will be looking for their creative spark, Kenan Yildiz, to make the difference and will also be boosted by the return of Dusan Vlahovic.
Juventus have only lost one game since appointing Igor Tudor as manager following the sacking of Thiago Motta, and will be hoping to avoid a shock defeat on Sunday.
Waiting in the wings will be Roma and Lazio, who play Torino and Lecce, respectively, knowing they can capitalise on any Juventus-slip ups. Roma often tweak their line-ups weekly under Ranieri but have the constant admission of the much-improved goalkeeper, Mile Svilar, and their engine in midfield, Kouadio Kone.
An image of the Stadio Olimpico where Roma play their home games, and also share the ground with bitter rivals Lazio. (Photo credits: Creative Commons)
As for Lazio, it was the veteran Pedro who rescued a point against Inter Milan in their latest game, adding to his eight goals already scored in the Serie A. However, Lazio’s danger comes down the left-hand side of midfield, where Nicolo Rovella will be hoping to link up with the dangerous Mattia Zaccagni.
Fiorentina and Bologna could also sneak into the European places, with both teams sitting on 62 points, just three behind Lazio. It has been a top season for both clubs, with Fiorentina reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA Conference League and Bologna winning the Coppa Italia for the first time in 51 years.
Fiorentina’s star man has been Moise Kean, who has registered 18 goals in the Serie A, making him the second top scorer in the league. For Bologna, their threat lies in the hands of the Swiss international Dan Ndoye, who scored the winner in the Coppa Italia final.
Bologna
Vicenzo Italiano has done a great job at Bologna, and Bai has been impressed by their reaction to losing some key players:
“I think it was a great surprise to see Bologna play at the same level, or even better, as last season after losing their manager and some of their key players.
“This was particularly telling of the solid club structure behind the team, with an excellent sporting director in Giovanni Sartori.”
Relegation Battle
From top to bottom, the relegation battle also goes down to the final day, with Monza the only team guaranteed to go down. Venezia and Empoli currently occupy the other two relegation spots, but Lecce, Parma and Hellas Verona can all still be relegated to Serie B.
Empoli have won their last two games but know they will have to win away at Verona, who only need a point to guarantee safety.
As for Venezia, they host Juventus in what is sure to be a tough test, especially considering they have only scored 30 goals in the league this season. This is much to do with the departure of last season’s top scorer, Joel Pohjanpalo, in February 2025 to Serie B side Palermo.
For Lecce, it is a trip to the Stadio Olimpico to face Lazio, whom they were defeated by two goals to one back in December. Lecce has scored the least number of goals in the Serie A with just 26 and will be hoping a defence led by Federico Baschirotto can keep Lazio at bay.
With the relegation battle coming to its conclusion, Bai offers his view on who will join Monza in Serie B:
“Considering the games in the final matchday, I think Venezia and Lecce are at risk of being relegated the most.
“Venezia need a miracle to earn a win against Juventus, while Lecce could easily drop points at Lazio, who are in the fight for Europe, meaning Empoli can take advantage by getting a good result against Verona.”
Player of the Season
Finally, when discussing Serie A’s player of the season Bai can only think of one real candidate:
“I feel it’s almost inevitable to think of Scott McTominay – his impact on Serie A has been terrific and he’s been a constant source of goals and dangerous plays for Napoli.
“He’s looked almost unplayable at times; a blend of strength, smartness and technique that has proven hard to limit for every opponent.”
So, with so much to play for on the final game week, it is sure to be a compelling watch.
