⚽️🇮🇹 Who will finish in the top four?
In this week’s Italian soccer digest, we're looking at Inter's incredible European victory, we're looking ahead to the Coppa Italia Final, and much more!
🎉 Inter triumph in all-time great Champions League semifinal!
In what is being widely regarded as the greatest two-game series in soccer history, Inter reached the Champions League Final on Tuesday following a 7-6 aggregate win over La Liga giants Barcelona.
🥳 After tying 3-3 in an epic first leg in Spain last week, Simone Inzaghi’s side took a 2-0 lead at San Siro, before falling 3-2 behind in the 87th minute. An injury-time equalizer and an extra-time winner from Davide Frattesi sent the Nerazzurri to the Champions League Final for the second time in three seasons.
👏 The Athletic were among those suggesting the game was the greatest Champions League semifinal of all time, with many others suggesting a two-legged knockout game of soccer has never been this spectacular.
🧤 Inter keeper Yann Sommer earned the Man of the Match Award after making a number of world-class saves. The Swiss shot stopper made 14 saves across the two matches.
🗣️ "It took a super Inter, applause for these guys, two monstrous performances were put on the pitch,” said Inzaghi. “I'm happy to be their coach. They gave me everything they had. It is only right that they enjoy the success in this stadium."
🇪🇺 Inzaghi also noted that his team has beaten “the two best sides in Europe” in conquering Bayern Munich and Barcelona en route to the Final.
👉 Inter will face French champions Paris Saint-Germain in the Final in Munich on Saturday, May 31st (3pm ET, CBS Sports).
🏆 Inter last reached the Final in 2023 and last lifted the trophy in 2010 when Jose Mourinho’s side completed a historic treble.
Elsewhere in European competition 👉 Fiorentina hosts Real Betis today (3pm ET, CBS Sports) for a place in the Europa Conference League Final for the third consecutive season. Betis has a 2-1 advantage from the first leg.
🍿 The fight for the top four intensifies this weekend
With just three games remaining this season, a single point separates four teams battling for a place in the top four: Juventus, Roma, Lazio, and Bologna.
😲 Lazio hosts Juventus on Saturday (12pm ET, CBS Sports and FOX Deportes) with both sides sitting on 63 points.
🐺 Fifth-place Roma, meanwhile, travels to third-place Atalanta on Monday (2.45pm ET, CBS Sports). A win for Claudio Ranieri’s side, which is 19 games undefeated in the league, will tighten the race for Champions League qualification even more.
👉 Seventh-place Bologna travels to Milan tomorrow (2.45pm ET, CBS Sports) in a match-up that will be replayed in next week’s Coppa Italia Final (more on that shortly).
🟣 Fiorentina is also in the mix in eighth spot, with four points currently separating them from the top four. La Viola is at relegation-threatened Venezia on Monday (12pm ET, CBS Sports).
🧐 If more than two teams are tied on points at the end of the season, the rankings will be decided by a classifica avulsa. Keep reading for our Calcio Conversations to learn how it works…
🏆 Milan and Bologna aim for Coppa Italia glory
Next Wednesday, Milan and Bologna will meet at the Stadio Olimpico for the 78th edition of the Coppa Italia Final - but they will also meet in the league tomorrow.
⚽️ Milan is seeking its sixth Coppa Italia title, having last lifted the trophy in 2003. Bologna last won the competition in 1974, and is looking for its third Coppa Italia win.
🗣️ As noted above, the two sides will also face each other in the league tomorrow (2.45pm ET, CBS Sports), in a game that could prove crucial for both sides. “Clearly, the first meeting with Milan is in Serie A. We must go there to pick up points. I think we’ll be very concentrated and it won’t distract us ahead of the Coppa Italia,” said Bologna coach Vincenzo Italiano.
💪 The Rossoneri is hitting form going into the game, with three consecutive wins behind them. Their most recent match, a comeback win at Genoa, was “a demonstration that we have a strong and united group,” according to coach Sérgio Conceição.
👏 Bologna is unbeaten in its last four outings and won their league meeting in February by a 2-1 scoreline.
👉 There’s more than just silverware on the line in this game: the winner earns automatic qualification to the Europa League if they have not already qualified for UEFA competitions via the league.
👏 Both teams have also qualified for the 2025-26 Supercoppa Italiana, where they will be joined by Napoli and Inter.
⬇️ Who will survive the relegation battle?
Just two points separate Lecce (17th), Venezia (18th), and Empoli (19th), with only one of the sides likely to beat the drop.
👉 As previously noted, Venezia hosts Fiorentina on Monday (12pm ET, CBS Sports), with the visitors keen to push into the top four spots.
📺 Venezia forward Alessio Zerbin spoke with Serie A’s official YouTube channel about the club’s survival prospects, his ambitions, and much more.
👉 Lecce travels to Verona on Sunday (9am ET, CBS Sports) while Empoli is at Parma on Saturday (2.45pm ET, CBS Sports and FOX Deportes).
😯 It’s worth noting that both Verona and Parma - along with Cagliari - are not mathematically safe from relegation yet, either.
😔 Monza, however, were officially relegated with their 4-0 loss to Atalanta last weekend.
👏 Pisa promoted to Serie A for first time in 34 years
Pisa will play in Serie A for the first time since 1991, after winning automatic promotion from Serie B.
👍 I Nerazzurri is guaranteed automatic promotion and will be joined by Sassuolo, who bounced back to the top after being relegated last season.
😯 An additional place in Serie A is up for grabs, with no fewer than 10 clubs in contention for the playoffs with two games left to play!
👋 You may recognize Pisa’s coach as World Cup winner Pippo Inzaghi, older brother of Inter coach Simone.
💪 This is Pippo’s second time bringing a team up from Serie B - he also did so with Benevento in 2020.
😲 The last time Pisa were in Serie A, they boasted Diego Simeone (father of Napoli’s Giovanni Simeone) among their ranks. Here’s the current Atletico Madrid coach contending for the ball with Diego Maradona…
🇮🇹 If you’re planning a trip to Pisa, you will easily be able to visit the Arena Garibaldi and the Leaning Tower on the same day…
💬 Calcio Conversations
We have previously explained how a play-off could decide the scudetto or relegation spots if two teams finish level. But did you know that the tie-breaker if multiple teams finish on the same number of points elsewhere in the table is the classifica avulsa?
🤷♂️ Please explain! If two teams finish level in Serie A, they are ranked according to the head-to-head results in their two meetings over the season. If there are more than two teams involved, a classifica avulsa or ‘mini-table’ forms, taking into account the results from their games against each other to decide the order.
🧐 What if they are still level? If points gained in head-to-head fixtures can’t split the teams - for example, if they tied all their games against each other - goal difference within the classifica avulsa is the second tie-breaker, followed by overall goal difference over the whole season, and goals scored over the whole season.
If they still can’t be split, it’s a coin toss!
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🥹 Edoardo Bove’s emotional return to Rome
Roma’s 1-0 win over Fiorentina on Sunday was marked by Edorado Bove’s return to the Stadio Olimpico - his first appearance at the stadium since his on-field cardiac arrest in December 2024..
👏 Bove, who hasn’t played since his on-pitch collapse, is on loan at Fiorentina from Roma. The 22-year-old is a product of the Giallorossi’s youth academy.
👉 The 22-year-old was highly emotional when he received an ovation from the entire stadium, chants of support from the Roma faithful, and a banner that read: “Edoardo, don’t give up, keep dreaming.”
🤔 Social Post of the Week: Reina names Serie A’s Spanish players
Como goalkeeper Pepe Reina was asked to name as many Spanish players in Serie A as he could within 30 seconds. Can you beat his tally?
📺 This weekend on CBS Sports, Paramount+, FOX Deportes, and SiriusXM
Friday, May 9th
Milan v Bologna (2.45pm ET, also on FOX Deportes)
Saturday, May 10th
Como v Cagliari (9am ET)
Lazio v Juventus (12pm ET, also on FOX Deportes)
Empoli v Parma (2.45pm ET, also on FOX Deportes)
Sunday, May 11th
Udinese v Monza (6.30am ET)
Verona v Lecce (9am ET)
Torino v Inter (12pm ET, also on FOX Deportes and SiriusXM FC)
Napoli v Genoa (2.45pm ET, also on SiriusXM FC)
Monday, May 12th
Venezia v Fiorentina (12pm ET)
Atalanta v Roma (2.45pm ET)
🇨🇦 Watch ALL Serie A games live on Fubo and select games with Italian-language commentary on TLN 🇨🇦
🇺🇸 Watch select games with Spanish-language commentary on FOX Deportes and English-language commentary on SiriusXM 🇺🇸
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