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The Euro Preview: Serie A’s relegation battle comes down to final day

By Clemente Lisi

VERONA, ITALY - MAY 13: Verona players before the serie A match between Hellas Verona FC and Udinese Calcio at Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi on May 13, 2018 in Verona, Italy. (Photo by Dino Panato/Getty Images)
VERONA, ITALY - MAY 13: Verona players before the serie A match between Hellas Verona FC and Udinese Calcio at Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi on May 13, 2018 in Verona, Italy. (Photo by Dino Panato/Getty Images) /
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Juventus may have already been crowned league champions, but five teams are fighting to avoid relegation going into the final game of the season.

Serie A

Italy didn’t just have had the tightest title battle in Europe all season, but the fight to avoid being relegated is just as competitive. Five teams — Spal, Udinese, Crotone, Chievo and Cagliari — all risk dropping to Serie B come Sunday on the final day of the season.

Hellas Verona and Benevento have already been demoted. Just above that duo is the quintet of Chievo and Udinese (37 points), Cagliari (36), and Spal and Crotone (both at 35). Should teams be tied on points after Sunday, a series of tiebreakers will be used to determine who drops.

The first tiebreaker is head-to-head records, followed by goal difference in the head-to-head series, overall goal difference and then the number of goals scored overall. As a result, there are 243 possible outcomes. Only two of them would see Chievo go down. There are seven scenarios that would plunge Udinese into the second division, 15 for Cagliari, 81 for Spal and 138 for Crotone.

Here are the five games to keep an eye on this Sunday (all games kick-off at noon):

Napoli vs. Crotone

Chievo vs. Benevento

Cagliari vs. Atalanta

Spal vs. Sampdoria

Udinese vs. Bologna

Bundesliga

Wolfsburg will look to remain in the top flight on Monday after playing Holstein Kiel at home in the first game of the two-legged series last Thursday in Germany’s relegation playoff.

The playoff caps off a remarkable campaign for Kiel as they pushed for a second straight promotion after coming up from the third division. Kiel manager Markus Anfang, who will take over at Koln this summer, is hoping the second attempt can be the charm for his side.

Despite their 4-1 victory against Koln on the final day of the season last Sunday, Wolfsburg are in the relegation playoff for the second straight year after finishing 16th in the table. The most intriguing matchup will feature USMNT player John Brooks taking on second division top scorer Marvin Ducksch, who scored 18 goals this season.

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La Liga

The Spanish season comes to a conclusion this weekend with Barcelona closing out their title-winning campaign at home against Real Sociedad on Sunday at the Camp Nou. Barca flew out to South Africa midweek to play a controversial friendly against Mamelodi Sundowns in Johannesburg to mark the 100th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s birth.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, end their season on Saturday away at Villarreal. Real can finish no better than third, just below Atletico Madrid, who finish above their city rivals for the first time in five years.

Real play Liverpool in the Champions League final on May 26, when they will attempt to win their third straight European crown.

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