Milan Derby Set to Decide Serie A Title as Roma, Juventus & Napoli Lurk In the Shadows

What was supposed to be a five-way race has been whittled down to just two candidates as AC Milan and Inter Milan are the only teams genuinely left to battle for the Serie A title this season.

As the only team to hit a 50-point milestone in the first 22 rounds, Inter sit comfortably at the top of the Serie A standings, five points clear of their San Siro rivals Milan.

Reigning holders Napoli have slipped to fourth on the back of winning just one of their last five league games, allowing Roma, coached by new boss Gian Piero Gasperini, to move to third.

Juventus’ hopes of ending their six-year drought and winning a record-extending 37th Scudetto have all but faded in Turin despite a statement 3-0 home win over Napoli last weekend.

Sitting ten points adrift of Inter, Luciano Spalletti’s men need a miracle to return to the title picture, and the odds reflect the magnitude of the task, with the Bianconeri priced at 25/1 to ascend the throne.

Given their remarkable consistency and strength in depth, Inter have emerged as the top favourites to dethrone Napoli, boasting 1/4 odds to win their 21st Scudetto.

Without further ado, let’s break down the current top five and assess their prospects in the upcoming Serie A fixtures:

Inter Milan

Inter’s decision to appoint Cristian Chivu as Simone Inzaghi’s successor in July raised a few eyebrows, given the 45-year-old’s lack of experience in senior management.

With just 13 Serie A games under his belt, the former Parma manager seemed like a wild card, but it was a gamble the San Siro giants were more than willing to take after being turned down by Cesc Fabregas.

Beppe Marotta’s bold move is paying off, with Chivu guiding the Nerazzurri to their second-best points tally at this stage of the season in the last decade while unlocking their full attacking potential.

Despite being the only Serie A side to smash a 50-goal barrier this season, Inter are looking to add more creativity to their midfield with the addition of Liverpool star Curtis Jones.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, talks between the clubs are underway, with the Reds reportedly asking for Denzel Dumfries to be included as part of a player-plus-cash swap deal.

Even if negotiations fall through, the Scudetto is Inter’s to lose. They’ve been head and shoulders above the rest of the league despite still waiting for their first ‘big game’ win under Chivu.

AC Milan

Unlike their city rivals, Milan have thrived against top teams this season, taking 11 points from five matches against fellow top-five rivals, including a narrow Derby della Madonnina win against Inter in November.

However, Massimiliano Allegri’s men have been notoriously prone to dropping points against sides sitting in the bottom half of the standings, which has undermined their pursuit of a landmark 20th Scudetto.

To begin with, their only league defeat this season came on the opening weekend against newly promoted Cremonese, while they also failed to beat newly promoted Pisa and Sassuolo.

A lack of European football this season could work to Milan’s advantage, enabling the Rossoneri to focus on Serie A as they seek their first league title since 2022.

That doesn’t change the fact that Milan must find a way to iron out their inconsistencies against lesser opposition if they’re to keep up with Inter’s blistering pace.

Roma

Roma’s last Serie A title dates back to 2002, and their wait looks destined to continue unless they miraculously overhaul a substantial nine-point deficit to Inter down the stretch.

While a long-awaited Scudetto appears to be a pipe dream, it’s been a positive start for Gasperini, who looks set to guide the Giallorossi to their first top-four finish since the 2017/18 season.

The gap between Inter and Roma feels almost unbridgeable, minimising the latter’s margin for error as the season enters the pivotal stage.

Scoring issues have marred Gasperini’s side this season.

However, with the arrival of Donyell Malen, they might be able to turn the corner, having scored precisely two goals in three straight league games before drawing 1-1 with Milan last time out.

Star forward Paulo Dybala remains Roma’s driving force in the final third, but according to Sky Sport Italia journalist Angelo Mangiante, the Argentine could be facing another lengthy spell on the sidelines.

With that in mind, a top-four finish looks like the most realistic target for Roma.

Napoli

Antonio Conte enjoyed a dream return to Serie A last year, steering Napoli to their fourth Scudetto in his first season at the helm en route to his fifth Serie A title as a manager.

Conte was in a similar position as Allegri this term, with the Partenopei out of UEFA competition, and he still had to sweat until the final day of the season to beat his former club Inter to the punch.

However, a seemingly endless title crisis and battles on multiple fronts have taken a toll on Napoli this season, with their title defence fizzling out after a solid start.

Already stranded nine points behind Inter, Conte may be better off focusing on leading his side to a top-four finish, with fifth-placed Juventus breathing down their necks.

Unless the second half of the campaign produced a turnaround of epic proportions, Napoli should be the latest side to fall victim to the infamous curse of reigning champions.

Indeed, Juventus remain the last Serie A team to successfully defend their crown, having won nine consecutive titles between 2012 and 2020 before Inter ended their dominance under Conte.

Juventus

Another former Scudetto winner, Spalletti, turned Juventus’ fortunes around since replacing Igor Tudor in the dugout last October, transforming a downtrodden team into a competitive side.

Juventus have only lost two league games under the 66-year-old, including a gut-wrenching 1-0 defeat at Cagliari in mid-January, which could have sealed their Scudetto fate.

Despite that setback, Spalletti is steering the Turin powerhouse in the right direction, helping them rediscover fun and ruthlessness in front of goal, as evidenced by their recent domestic performances.

Except for that underwhelming loss at the Unipol Domus, Juventus have scored at least three goals in three of their last four Serie A outings, a drastic improvement compared to many of Spalletti’s predecessors.

Unfortunately for the former Napoli boss, Juventus’ resurgence may have come too little too late, but it could still restore a feel-good factor for the future. 

The post Milan Derby Set to Decide Serie A Title as Roma, Juventus & Napoli Lurk In the Shadows appeared first on 11v11.