The Easter Weekend meant there was a bumper day of Serie A football on Saturday, and Week 32 may well come to be remembered as a crucial day.
The Derby della Madonnina saw an improbable comeback from Milan, while it would take a resurrection of Biblical proportions to save Palermo and Pescara from the drop.
Roma all-but concede the Scudetto
Atalanta’s trip to Stadio Olimpico to face Roma had been billed as crucial for both the title race and the European one.
The Easter Weekend meant there was a bumper day of Serie A football on Saturday, and Week 32 may well come to be remembered as a crucial day.
The Derby della Madonnina saw an improbable comeback from Milan, while it would take a resurrection of Biblical proportions to save Palermo and Pescara from the drop.
Roma all-but concede the Scudetto
Atalanta’s trip to Stadio Olimpico to face Roma had been billed as crucial for both the title race and the European one.
An insipid first half from the Giallorossi saw them trailing 1-0, and while Edin Dzeko got a second half equaliser, Luciano Spalletti’s men were unable to find a winning goal.
Wojciech Szczesny effectively conceded the Scudetto after the match, while the Coach admitted that finishing above Juve will be very difficult.
Roma face the Bianconeri on home turf in Week 37, but with just 18 points to play for the Old Lady have home games with Genoa and Crotone, and travel to Bologna on the last day.
It’s not over, but only a dramatic collapse will stop the Bianconeri winning a sixth-consecutive title.
Milan pile the pressure on Pioli
The Milan clubs are separated by just two points and shared the spoils on Saturday, but the outlook couldn’t be more different on the different sides of the city.
Milan’s dramatic comeback allied to the sale of the club finally being completed has brought some much-needed optimism to the Rossonero half of the city, but the pressure is mounting on Inter.
Having been 2-0 up at half-time, the Nerazzurri slumped to a fourth winless game in a row, and the next two rounds see them face Fiorentina and Napoli.
Missing out on the Europa League is now a real danger, in a season where Champions League qualification was the minimum objective.
And then there were two…
Crotone’s creditable point at Torino actually saw them slip further into the relegation mire, but the two sides below them now look doomed.
Empoli’s shock win at Fiorentina means Palermo are now 10 points behind the Tuscan outfit with six games to play.
Pescara, meanwhile, were beaten by Juventus and Coach Zdenek Zeman admitted that relegation is now a near-certainty, with a 12-point gap to be overcome and Roma visiting the Adriatico next week.
Crotone have a four-point gap to overhaul, but with Genoa nine-points clear of the drop and the bottom two cut adrift, it looks like one from two.
Juric makes successful return
Ivan Juric’s return to the Genoa bench brought a draw with Lazio, and the Grifone would have taken all three points if not for a dramatic equaliser at the death.
After Andrea Mandorlini failed to turn the team’s fortunes around, but the returning Coach said after the match that the Rossoblu can still redeem their season.
They’ll need a strong showing over the final six fixtures if Juric is to remain in situ for the 2017-18 season.
Napoli assure Champions League
Napoli secured a 3-0 win over Udinese, and Maurizio Sarri’s men are surely guaranteed Champions League football for another season.
Lazio lie nine points behind with 18 to be played for, and the Partenopei surely won’t be caught now.
Juventus are out of reach, but finishing best of the rest is now a real possibility for Napoli.
Roma’s cushion is now just two points, with the Giallorossi still to face Lazio, Milan and Juventus. If the Neapolitans can come away unscathed from San Siro when they face Inter in Week 35, second place is well within their reach.