During a relatively quiet midweek round, Inter managed to extend their lead on top of the table thanks to a routine win. Milan somehow salvaged a draw against Udinese after an abysmal display, whilst Juventus bounced back with a comfortable win over Spezia. The Derby della Lanterna failed to meet the expectations, but at least both sides were able to score a goal as it ended 1-1 between Genoa and Sampdoria. So here are our Top 3 stories from Serie A round 25.
Catch Them If You Can
This season, the Scudetto race promised to be one of the best in recent memory. However, Inter’s growing lead threatens to end it earlier than expected.
The Nerazzurri earned a tough – yet expected – victory away from home against Parma in round 25, taking advantage of Milan’s slip to extend their lead to 6 points in the Serie A standings. The reigning champions Juventus are still relatively far with 10 points adrift – albeit with a postponed match in hand.
Even though a six points gap isn’t exactly a knockout strike, but the way the Rossoneri have been performing during the last month or so, and with the Bianconeri dropping points on regular basis, does anyone have a realistic chance of catching the high-flying leaders?
Alexis Sanchez Brace Shocks Parma to Propel #Inter Breakaway #SerieA https://t.co/rbrKVjETew via @cultofcalcio
— The Cult of Calcio (@cultofcalcio) March 4, 2021
Who Will Pay the Price of Cagliari’s Resurgence
After plummeting deep into the relegation zone, Cagliari opted to sack Eusebio Di Francesco, replacing him with Leonardo Semplici.
Luckily for the Isolani, their new manager led them to two Serie A wins in his first two outings, including a Round 25 victory over an uninspired Bologna side.
With stars in the caliber of Radja Nainggolan, Diego Godin, Joao Pedro and Nahitan Nandez at their disposal, Cagliari shouldn’t have been anywhere near the drop-zone in the first place.
However, the rules of nature state that every rise has to be balanced out with a certain fall. So if the Sardinians managed to escape away from the relegation battle, someone has to replace them.
Whilst Torino currently lies in the 18th position, the Granata have two postponed matches in their hands, and they have been enjoying a resurgence themselves under the guidance of Davide Nicola.
However, Filippo Inzaghi’s Benevento have major problems at the back. As witnessed during their encounter against Hellas Verona, the Serie B champions often attack in numbers, which leaves acres of space for the opposition to exploit.
Pippo’s men started the season on a high note, but what matters the most is where they will end up after the 38th round.
Before Di Francesco was sacked, Cagliari were on a 16 game winless streak…
Semplici has been in charge for two games and won both ? pic.twitter.com/O7mevbSKz9
— Italian Football TV (@IFTVofficial) March 3, 2021
A Glorious Mess
The clash between Sassuolo and Napoli in round 25 had everything that the Serie A fan would wish for and more.
Own goal, dubious penalties, disallowed screamers, apparent late winner, last second equalizer and a little bit of extra Italian drama of course.
At the end of the day, the two sides left with a point each. Whilst the Neroverdi looked pleased with their late equalizer, the pressure on Gennaro Gattuso is still rising after dropping another two points, and it remains to be seen for how much longer will he able to avoid the wrath of club president Aurelio De Launrentiis.
94:29 – #Caputo's goal (94:29) is the latest conceded by Napoli in Serie A since 2004/05 (since Opta collected this kind of data). Photofinish. #SassuoloNapoli
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) March 3, 2021