Napoli and Inter set to take title race down to the wire
Soccer Football - Serie A - Napoli v Inter Milan - Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples, Italy - March 1, 2025 General view of match day scarfs on display outside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Ciro De Luca
Napoli and Inter set to take title race down to the wire
Napoli aim to defend a one-point lead atop Serie A with Inter Milan poised to pounce, while the fight for the final Champions League spot and the relegation battle reach boiling point on what promises to be a dramatic penultimate matchday.
There is a chance the Scudetto could be decided by a playoff, if the top two finish level on points, but Napoli have their fate in their hands and could secure the title on Sunday with a win if Inter lose at home to fifth-placed Lazio.
Napoli slipped up last weekend in a 2-2 draw at home to Genoa, allowing Inter to move closer, and Antonio Conte's side travel to Parma who are 16th and still not safe from the drop.
Conte will be without midfielder Stanislav Lobotka, who limped off early against Genoa, already struggling with an ankle injury, but there was some good news for Napoli.
Winger David Neres came on late versus Genoa while defender Alessandro Buongiorno is likely to be among the substitutes for the Parma match having missed the last two games.
Napoli are undefeated in 10 matches, but dropping points last time out means Conte's men cannot afford any more missteps, as Inter, with a Champions League final to look forward to, have found an extra gear at just the right time.
Inter lost top spot with two successive defeats, but Simone Inzaghi's rotation has worked wonders in the last two games with his side taking maximum points to give themselves a fighting chance of retaining their league title.
Davide Frattesi, Lautaro Martinez, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Benjamin Pavard are unlikely to return for the Lazio game, but Inzaghi may restore the likes of goalkeeper Yann Sommer, Marcus Thuram, Hakan Calhanoglu and Nicolo Barella to the lineup.
Lazio are in the hunt for a Champions League place, level on 64 points with Juventus who have the all-important fourth spot.
Juve are home to Udinese, with a host of teams waiting to take advantage of any slip-up. AS Roma are one point behind and host AC Milan who are in eighth place on 60 points.
Nine games kick off simultaneously on Sunday. The only fixture with nothing riding on it is Atalanta's trip to Genoa on Saturday, with the hosts safe in mid-table and the visitors already guaranteed third spot and a Champions League place.
Bologna, fresh from lifting the Coppa Italia by beating Milan on Wednesday, are seventh in the standings, two points off Juve, and visit Fiorentina, who are ninth on 59 points
Monza are already relegated, but may well play a role in deciding who joins them in Serie B as they welcome second from bottom Empoli, level on 28 points with Lecce, who host Torino.
Venezia's win over Fiorentina on Monday moved them one place and one point above the drop zone and they visit Cagliari, 14th in the standings on 33 points and not mathematically safe yet. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
7 hours ago
- Straits Times
Back to the drawing board for Salzburg after Club World Cup opponents change coaches
Salzburg qualified for the revamped tournament in the United States based on Uefa club rankings, completing the list of 12 participating European teams. PHOTO: REUTERS SALZBURG – Austrian side RB Salzburg's performance analysis department began early preparations for their opponents in the Club World Cup, but the fact all their group rivals have changed coaches has added a huge element of uncertainty, said their coach Thomas Letsch. Salzburg qualified for the revamped tournament in the United States based on Uefa club rankings, completing the list of 12 participating European teams. They are in Group H alongside Real Madrid, Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia and Mexico's Pachuca. Those three teams share several traits: All of them changed their coach before the tournament and have reached either the final of the old-format Club World Cup or Intercontinental Cup at least once. "Since all three opponents have changed their coaches not too long ago, we had to forget everything we had prepared about them," Letsch told Reuters. "For our analysis department, this was quite a challenge. In this sense, there is a bit of the unknown, even with Real Madrid under Xabi Alonso. "I am definitely curious to see how it will be, especially against clubs from Mexico and Saudi Arabia, against whom we have never played in any competition" he added. Alonso replaced Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid, while Simone Inzaghi began his spell with Al-Hilal following Inter Milan's heavy defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final. Meanwhile, Pachuca have appointed Jaime Lozano. German coach Letsch, 56, faced Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen three times in the Bundesliga with his former side Bochum. "I don't think these games have any significance for the duel at the Club World Cup," said Letsch. Salzburg did not have much time to prepare as the domestic league ended on May 24. They face Pachuca on June 18. "For us, the very short break between the end of the championship and the preparation for the Club World Cup felt like an extended international break," said Letsch. "We were back together very quickly. But you could immediately feel that everyone was very excited about the tournament. "We started training again on Monday and already had a quite different team compared to the last time in the Austrian Bundesliga. "Actually, I didn't expect it to happen so quickly, and now we already have four new external signings and some young home-grown players. That's great and does us good. It's a kind of fresh start". The European qualification rules for the tournament allow three Champions League winners from the past four years to qualify, along with the top-ranked teams. However, a maximum of two teams from each country can enter if no other winners come from that nation. This rule was the reason why Liverpool, ranked eighth in the Uefa rankings, did not qualify, as Chelsea and Manchester City had won the continental title in the last four years. That opened the way for Salzburg to enter the 32-team competition, despite being ranked 18th in Europe. Salzburg are well-known for developing talented youngsters and then selling them to Europe's biggest clubs. It has been the starting point for players like Erling Haaland, Karim Adeyemi and Dominik Szoboszlai. They have a young squad to compete against Al-Hilal, the runners-up in the 2022 Club World Cup, Pachuca, who reached the Intercontinental final last year, and Real, who have won a record nine Intercontinental/Club World Cup titles. They face a difficult challenge to reach the Round of 16 and Letsch believes that "it is not easy to define specific goals" before the tournament. "Our goal is definitely to achieve maximum success. We are very excited about the (Club) World Cup and want to show our best side there so that everyone says that Salzburg rightly deserves to be there," he added. Asked whether the Club World Cup is an opportunity for them to showcase more players, Letsch said: "Salzburg is clearly committed to developing young players and giving them the opportunity to play at the highest possible level. " This is part of our DNA, and we want to showcase this at the Club World Cup. However, we must not make the mistake of just throwing any young players into the mix. It definitely requires a delicate touch". REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
7 hours ago
- Straits Times
Juventus hand manager Tudor two-year contract extension
Juventus manager Igor Tudor's contract has been renewed for two more years ahead of the start of their Club World Cup campaign, the Serie A club announced on Friday. Damien Comolli, the club's new general manager, said on Tuesday that they had faith in the Croatian coach who was handed the reins fewer than three months ago. Tudor joined in March after the dismissal of Thiago Motta, with Juve eliminated from all cup competitions and outside Serie A's top four. Under Tudor, they lost just one more league match, securing fourth spot to qualify for the Champions League. "Tudor has committed to our club until June 30, 2027 - with an option on 2028 – and will also lead the men's first team in the coming seasons, starting with the first official competition to be staged in the United States, the Club World Cup," the Turin outfit said in a statement. Juventus face Emirati side Al-Ain in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, followed by clashes against Morocco's Wydad AC and Manchester City in Group G. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNA
7 hours ago
- CNA
Juventus hand manager Tudor two-year contract extension
Juventus manager Igor Tudor's contract has been renewed for two more years ahead of the start of their Club World Cup campaign, the Serie A club announced on Friday. Damien Comolli, the club's new general manager, said on Tuesday that they had faith in the Croatian coach who was handed the reins fewer than three months ago. Tudor joined in March after the dismissal of Thiago Motta, with Juve eliminated from all cup competitions and outside Serie A's top four. Under Tudor, they lost just one more league match, securing fourth spot to qualify for the Champions League. "Tudor has committed to our club until June 30, 2027 - with an option on 2028 – and will also lead the men's first team in the coming seasons, starting with the first official competition to be staged in the United States, the Club World Cup," the Turin outfit said in a statement. Juventus face Emirati side Al-Ain in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, followed by clashes against Morocco's Wydad AC and Manchester City in Group G.
