Deulofeu proved crucial for Milan as they edged closer to that final Europa League spot. Image: Getty
It was another exciting week of football as the Serie A began to draw to a close. Here’s a rundown of the week’s events.
Roma Make Juventus Wait
Juventus will have to wait at least another week after they suffered defeat away at Roma. Roma played a great game, and they recovered from an early deficit made by Lemina, coming out on top 3-1 thanks to goals from De Rossi, El Shaarawy, and Nainggolan. Even without Dzeko, the Giallorossi got the job done, but it was partly due to Juventus resting many of their players for the Coppa Italia final on Wednesday against Lazio.
Just A Bit Closer
Milan came a bit closer to clinching the final Europa League spot after a late goal from Deulofeu matched Conti’s goal for Atalanta. Milan now sits one point ahead of Fiorentina, but with two matchups against Bologna and Cagliari, and Fiorentina’s daunting matchup with Napoli, they should be able to get the job done. Of course, this is Milan we’re talking about, so nothing’s certain. If Fiorentina draws or loses at Napoli, Milan can clinch that last spot with a win.
Late Goals Galore
All five goals in the Fiorentina vs Lazio match came in the second half — three from Fiorentina (Babacar, Kalinic, Lombardi (OG)) and two from Lazio (Keita, Murgia). It was a very important win for the Viola as they reduced the gap to one point from Milan, but they have another tough matchup this week against Napoli.
Dreams Squandered?
Is it over for Inter? It sure looks like it. Eder’s goal wasn’t enough to recover from Iemello’s brace for Sassuolo, and the Nerazzurri now sit four points away from Milan, essentially destroying their chances of returning to Europe. It’s been another disappointing season for Inter, who were eliminated early in the Europa League, and it seems they won’t even qualify this time around.
No Chance Against Napoli
Napoli was just too good for Torino as a brace from Callejon and goals from Mertens, Insigne, and Zielinski completed the rout for the Partenopei. Roma wasn’t going to be outdone though, and with their win against Juventus, Napoli still sits one point back from Roma, and it’ll be interesting to see how that race turns out.
Relegation Race Heating Up
Three teams are now in the race for relegation — Genoa, Empoli, and Crotone. Here’s how things turned out over the weekend.
Rispoli’s goal, the only one of the match, powered Palermo past Genoa in a battle of two relegation teams. Genoa didn’t seem destined for relegation, but some poor results mean they’re only two points ahead of Crotone and one ahead of Empoli.
Three first half goals from Cagliari (Sau, Farias) meant that Empoli would have a tough task ahead of them if they wished to win. They managed to pull it close with goals from Zajc and Maccarone, but they couldn’t get the job done.
Crotone were the only one of the three teams to emerge victorious as Rohden scored the only goal of the match to get them past Udinese. Crotone have been on fire, and it’ll be interesting to see if their great form can carry them into safety.
All Square at Sampdoria
It was a stalemate at Sampdoria as goals from Quagliarella and Inglese canceled each other out. Both teams sit mid-table, and while they haven’t been able to accomplish much, they will stay in the league.
Pescara Doomed
Pescara’s sorrows continued as they were defeated by Bologna. A brace from Destro and a goal from Di Francesco were enough to get past Bahebeck’s equalizer. It’s been a pretty abysmal season for Pescara, who have only earned 14 points throughout the course of the entire season.
All Serie A Results, Week 36
Fiorentina vs Lazio 3-2
Atalanta vs Milan 1-1
Inter vs Sassuolo 1-2
Torino vs Napoli 0-5
Sampdoria vs Chievo 1-1
Crotone vs Udinese 1-0
Bologna vs Pescara 3-1
Cagliari vs Empoli 3-2
Palermo vs Genoa 1-0
Roma vs Juventus 3-1
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