The Serie A title race has become a more exciting spectacle in recent times after Juventus’ near decade-long domination of the league title. Inter Milan ended that run in 2021 with their first Scudetto in 11 years and the rest of the chasing pack is desperate to also get hold of the top-flight crown.
After matchday 29 of the ongoing season, the title contenders are feeling the heat as the campaign promises another exciting climax.
Inter’s fatal 1-1 draw at Torino means the Nerazzurri missed the chance to stay in touch with rivals AC Milan atop the standings but the race is well and truly set till the very end. Elsewhere, Victor Osimhen scored twice in Napoli’s 2-1 win against Hellas Verona to move them within three points of the pace-setters.
That result revived Napoli’s title hopes after their demoralizing defeat to the Rossoneri last week and the Neapolitans can dream of a first Serie A title since Diego Maradona inspired them to two Scudetti in 1987 and 1990.
It is crunch time for Milan who built on their huge away win over Napoli by claiming all three points against Empoli thanks to Pierre Kalulu’s superb left-footed strike from the edge of the box. However, it was a game of few chances which Stefano Pioli’s men were desperate to win and they were thankful for some expert defending.
Meanwhile, the Rossoneri have collected 63 points after 29 matches for the first time since 2012, and are now three points ahead of Napoli, four more than champions Inter who have a game in hand and seven better than Juventus.
Can Milan go all the way?
The San Siro side have their destiny in their own hands with only nine games to go, they are now in charge of a race that painfully slipped from their grasp in the second half of last season amidst a loss of key players to injury and Covid.
With Zlatan Ibrahimović and Ante Rebić on the road to regaining match fitness, Milan arguably have enough in the tank to finish the season strongly as the attack has produced few goals recently.
The midfield department including Ismaël Bennacer and Sandro Tonali, however, look to be in peak form just in time for the crucial games of the season and with Franck Kessié also involved, they are well stocked.
Crucially, Milan have managed to keep clean sheets against Napoli, Inter, Lazio and Juventus in 2022 and that confidence would be decisive in the final stretch of the season. Pioli’s men have everything on their side to be successful and this brilliant run of form may just prove crucial for the Rossoneri’s Scudetto and Coppa Italia ambitions.
Par for the course, should the title race go right down to the wire, Milan are also advantaged by their head-to-head records against nearest challengers Inter and Napoli this season.
A young team failed to maintain consistency in the decisive stages of the last campaign, but with 15 points ahead of fifth-placed Atalanta, they now seem set to outlast Juventus and the chasing pack.
