Football fans are in for an electrifying weekend as Matchday 30 of the Serie A promises a lineup of crucial games that could substantially influence the league standings. As we gear up for the latest round of top-flight matches, let’s explore some key statistics and talking points to watch out for this weekend.
Napoli vs Atalanta
With Serie A likely to gain an additional spot under the new Champions League format, Napoli are still in contention for a berth at Europe’s top table despite one of the worst defending campaigns in the league’s history. But as six points separate them from fifth-placed Roma at the start of this round, there’s no margin for error.
Francesco Calzona’s men must build on their six-game unbeaten league streak (W2, D4) to bolster their lofty ambitions following a spirited 1-1 draw against runaway leaders Inter on the stroke of March’s international break. Confidence stems from their eye-catching four-game winning run against Atalanta, including a gutsy 2-1 win in November’s reverse fixture.
La Dea headed in the two-week hiatus on the back of a 2-1 triumph against Sporting CP in the Europa League, halting an underwhelming run of five straight winless outings (D3, L2). With that in mind, numerous bookmakers, as witnessed by football betting not on Gamstop, view Gian Piero Gasperini’s side as pre-game outsiders.
Lazio vs Juventus
Amid speculation linking Gleison Bremer with a big-money switch to Manchester United, Juventus take a daunting-looking trip to the Stadio Olimpico to lock horns with familiar foes Lazio. As per Gazzetta dello Sport, the Red Devils have set their sights on the Brazilian defender and would be ready to include Mason Greenwood as a makeweight in a deal.
But Massimiliano Allegri has more pressure issues to deal with at the moment, with Juventus going into proceedings winless in their last three Serie A matches (D2, L1). In fact, barring a 2-1 home victory against relegation-threatened Frosinone, they’ve only won once in their last eight league contests (D4, L3).
The situation doesn’t look any better around the Lazio camp, even though a 3-2 win against Frosinone settled the home supporters’ troubled spirits before the international break. However, it was a mere consolation after Biancocelesti suffered four defeats on the trot beforehand, resulting in their Champions League elimination and a sub-par ninth place in the Serie A table.
Fiorentina vs Milan
High-lying Milan took Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi by storm before the pause, thrashing out-of-sorts Hellas Verona 3-1 to leapfrog Juventus into second. But despite racking up three consecutive league wins, a title seems out of reach for Rossoneri as they languish a whopping 14 points behind table-topping Inter.
Milan’s bid to make it four Serie A triumphs on the spin for the first time since January faces a formidable hurdle. Fiorentina might have plunged into mid-table amidst a dismal run of just one win from their last five league assignments (D3, L1), but they’re still a force to be reckoned with at Stadio Artemio Franchi.
Vincenzo Italiano’s troops have only lost once in their last 13 games on home turf (W9, D3). As if that’s not encouraging enough, they’ve overcome Milan in back-to-back league encounters in Tuscany, netting multiple goals on both occasions.