If you are an avid Inter Milan supporter, then a congratulatory greeting is in order since it is widely expected that your club will bring home the Serie A title for the first time in over a decade.
Antonio Conte’s men inched one step closer to the Scudetto after extending their double digit lead, while their rivals failed to show up once again when it mattered most.
AC Milan and Juventus suffered tough losses during the weekend which further derails their plans. And instead, they may have to set their focus on securing an European qualification spot.
Meanwhile, the battle for survival at the bottom is heating up as Benevento, Cagliari, and Torino are all fighting for that last ticket to safety.
Keep up with the latest here in Italy as SBOTOP shares the main takeaways from last weekend’s set of fixtures.
Inter Milan at the brink of glory
The picture of Antonio Conte being ecstatic sums up Inter Milan’s situation right now. Even he himself coudn’t believe it.
After enduring back-to-back 1-1 draws against Napoli and Spezia in the last few weeks, the Nerazzurri have returned to the winning track with a 1-0 win over Verona.
Matteo Darmian scored the only goal of the game during the 76th minute as Achraf Hakimi delivered a beautiful dish similar to what happened against Cagliari.
Other than Conte, Darmian also left the said game a happy man since he has sustained his hot form. The 31-year-old full-back’s scoring adds another dimension to Inter Milan’s offence and that is quite a welcome boost.
Inter Milan are now 13 points clear over the rest of the pack and they remain undefeated in over the last three months. They only need to take just six points from their next five fixtures to finally bring the trophy back home.
AC Milan suffer a major slip
Inter’s rivals AC Milan, on the other hand, had a Monday to forget after their latest setback.
The Rossoneri didn’t hold their end of the bargain as it was supposed to be a thrilling showdown at the Stadio Olimpico. Lazio were simply the better team as they cruised to a 3-0 victory.
Joaquin Correa’s shooting touch gave the Biancocelesti an ideal start during the second minute, and then he completed his brace six minutes after the break.
Ciro Immobile notched his 18th goal of the season during the 87th minute to help keep their top four hopes alive.
The loss couldn’t come at an bad time for AC Milan since they have dropped out of the top four. This also meant that Napoli are now placed third especially after grabbing a 2-0 win over Torino – making them one of the big winners for this week.
Is Andrea Pirlo on his way out?
Andrea Pirlo remains a hot name in the Serie A 2021 news as Juventus’ brass hinted that he might get fired if they don’t finish the season with a Champions League spot.
It has been a trying debut season for Andrea Pirlo at the coaching helm as they couldn’t check any boxes in their preseason checklist.
They were booted out in the Round of 16 of the Champions League against Porto and they are also set to concede their nine-year reign in Serie A.
Fiorentina certainly did them no favours in the last time out as they were held to a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.
The Bianconeri fell behind on 30 minutes as Dusan Vlahovic recorded his 17th goal of the season and they were bailed out eventually by Alvaro Morata’s brilliant effort right after the halftime break.
Juventus could’ve moved up at second behind Inter Milan. But instead, they have dropped to fourth – level with Napoli and AC Milan in points.
Benevento, Cagliari, and Torino are trying to escape relegation
The next few matchdays will determine the fate of relegation strugglers Benevento, Cagliari, and Torino – who are all level in points.
Torino can easily grab three to six points max in their upcoming matches against Parma and Verona, while Cagliari and Benevento have tough fixtures against Napoli and AC Milan respectively before squaring off on May 9.
The Serie A 2021 odds slightly favour either Torino or Cagliari since they have been doing well in April. Torino are undefeated in four of their last five, while Cagliari are riding on a three-game winning streak.
And that leaves Benevento out in the cold as they have suffered losses in three of their last five.
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