Serie A Matchday 38 Preview

The 2020/21 Serie A campaign first saw the light of day over two hundred days ago when Fiorentina edged Torino 1-0 with Gaetano Castrovilli scoring the first goal of the season. Almost nine months and many games later, it’s finally time for Matchday 38. And like always, the ultimate day of the season promises to be a wild ride.

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Three Games to Watch

• Bolonga vs Juventus: May 23rd, 20:45 CET/2:45 EDT
• Atalanta vs Milan: May 23rd, 20:45 CET/2:45 EDT
• Napoli vs Hellas Verona: May 23rd, 20:45 CET/2:45 EDT

While the title and relegation have already been decided, the UEFA Champions League spots are once more coming down to the final day. That’s nothing new for Inter but this time the Nerazzurri have the luxury of watching the action from the couch. Instead, it will be Napoli, AC Milan, and Juventus fighting for their European lives only hours after Inter lifts the trophy. Atalanta has clinched a UCL berth with 78 points but Milan (76), Napoli (76), and Juve (75) are interlocked after 37 rounds; the scenarios for what results are needed to take who into the Champions League next season are innumerable.

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Juventus has the simplest fixture on paper against mid-table Bologna but it's shown an impressive capability to drop points against unlikely opposition. Wins against Inter and Atalanta in just the past week, however, would point towards an easy victory for a Juve side finding form. Napoli faces a trickier test against Ivan Juric’s Hellas Verona. The Gialloblu beat Napoli 3-1 in the reverse fixture but comes into this one winless in eight. The Partenopei, on the other hand, won its last three outings by a combined score of 11-2. Like with Juventus, it’s difficult to see Napoli not taking all three points, though Verona has caused big clubs plenty of trouble this season. For Milan, however, the path to Europe’s elite competition is much steeper. The Rossoneri could have clinched Champions League football with a win over Cagliari last weekend, but instead were held to a scoreless draw. It was all the more painful for Milan considering it had just beaten Juventus and Torino by a combined score of 10-0 prior to the visit from the Isolani. The top four seemed all but certain for Stefano Pioli’s side after those victories but now it goes to Bergamo needing all three points. Despite having the UCL clinched, Atalanta won’t roll over for Milan; finishing second increases the prize money La Dea receives and it wants to finish the season on a bright note after losing the Coppa Italia final midweek. Milan does have the advantage in head-to-head on both Napoli and Juve, so all hope is not lost for our cousins.

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No matter how the table shakes out by the time the final whistle blows Sunday night, the closing act of the 2020/21 season will be a memorable one. From lifting Inter’s first trophy in a decade to watching three of its biggest rivals fight tooth and nail for the UCL, Sunday has all of the makings for a very enjoyable day for Interisti.

Forza Inter!