Serie A: What to watch for whenever the season resumes
Serie A may be on hold while the coronavirus pandemic persists, but teams at the top and bottom of the standings need to be ready once the season resumes.
While teams across Italy wait for government officials to give Serie A the go-ahead to resume play, there are several things teams need to consider before diving into the season.
This past weekend would have featured a pair of tasty matchups as part of matchday 32’s slate of games. Atalanta at Juventus and Napoli hosting AC Milan would have impacted the title race and which teams would have earned a spot in the Champions League.
Instead, none of that happened. Serie A hit the pause button following the March 9 game where Sassuolo defeated Brescia 3-0. Since then, Italy has been plunged into the coronavirus crisis, which eventually spread throughout Europe and later North America.
No date has been set for when the league will resume. When that happens remains a mystery (a May 4 date has been set, but there remains no confirmation as of now) as countries like Italy slowly attempt to bring businesses and everyday life back to normal in a safe a manner as possible. The season is expected to stretch into the summer. Before teams can resume play, players and managers will need to shake off the quarantine rust and try and regain that lost momentum.
With the race at the top and bottom of the standings still wide open, here’s a recap of where the teams stand and what we can expect.
Title Race: Juventus (63 points) and Lazio (62)
The original league schedule would have seen Juve and Lazio play each other on April 26 at the Allianz Stadium. With the sides this close to each other in the standings, the game could have very well determined the championship with four games left on the calendar. That final sprint could have been a memorable one. All that momentum is now lost.
Juventus have the stronger roster, but Lazio punched above its weight for most of the season and featured striker Ciro Immobile in spectacular form. Since the pause, Juve have had to deal with a few of their players coming down with the virus (all are healthy now).
Lazio, on the other hand, have complained that Juve players had the ability to leave the country and train. It’s the type of public bickering and controversy typical of Serie A. Juve no doubt has the edge, for a variety of factors, but the Rome-based club certainly can pull an upset.
Champions League: Inter Milan (54), Atalanta (48), Roma (45) and Napoli (39)
The battle for the remaining two Champions League spots (Italy has a total of four for the 2020-21 season) features four sides. While Inter and Atalanta remain favored here, Roma has an outside shot at it. Napoli, after what can only be defined as a bad season, had recovered over the course of time following the hiring of Gennaro Gattuso as manager.
Inter have been inconsistent, despite being in third, while Atalanta were having a dream season before the virus hit. With 70 goals scored in 25 games (the team has a game in hand), Atalanta have tallied more than any other Serie A side this season.
As things stand, Atalanta remains the best team in this bunch. With their city Bergamo the epicenter of the outbreak in Italy, this will be a team hungry to keep winning. Motivation is a big factor here (especially if no fans are allowed in the stands) and Atalanta is certainly the kind of side that can find the spirit to win.
Europa League: AC Milan (36), Verona (35) and Parma (35)
Italy gets three spots in the next Europa League, meaning only one of these three teams has a shot at it. For AC Milan, a berth would mark a return to European competition after years of poor results. AC Milan dominated both domestic and international competition in the later 1980s and early ’90s.
Outsiders like Verona and Parma are certainly within striking distance to overtake the Rossoneri. Nonetheless, AC Milan have Zlatan Ibrahimovic and that’s no small thing.
Relegation: Sampdoria (26), Genoa (25), Lecce (25), Spal (18) and Brescia (16)
Three teams drop down to the second division in a race that currently features five sides. The race to avoid relegation is all about trying to get draws against the stronger teams while defeating your direct rivals.
Brescia and Spal appear doomed at the moment, with three clubs fighting to avoid the last spot. The intra-city rivalry between Sampdoria and Genoa adds even more flair to the relegation battle.
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For more information about COVID-19, visit the CDC’s website or the website for your state’s Department of Health.