Serie A: Teams in Champions League race playing spoiler role

As teams battle for a top four spot, some clubs are increasingly playing the role of spoiler in the title race between Juventus and Lazio.

The Juventus-Lazio title race that was supposed to captivate Serie A fans this summer has been, how should we say, a bit of a downer. How so? Teams battling to finish in the top four (and earn a berth to next season’s Champions League) have gone out of their way to get points. Along the way, they have played the role of spoiler.

You can hardly blame them. Grabbing a spot in the Champions League (and even the second-tier Europa League) brings with it big money and global attention. It also brings prestige and allows players to compete against the best in Europe. That’s why they are doing all they can to amass wins.

Along the way, Juventus and Lazio need to stay as sharp as possible. The pause to the season due to COVID-19 broke the momentum Lazio certainly had. When the lockdown started in Italy in mid-March, Lazio was a point behind defending champions Juve. A few weeks since the season resumed, Lazio remain second, but are now four points back.

Lazio fans aren’t happy. Neither are the legions of neutrals who’d like to see the scudetto assigned as a results of a competitive race on the final matchday of the season. That could still happen, but it grows more and more unlikely as teams like Atalanta and Napoli continue to surge up the standings.

Leave it to Atalanta to spoil Lazio’s party recently, defeating the Rome-based club 3-2. As a result, the scoreline put Juventus seemingly one step closer to another title. Saturday brings with it two games that could again impact the race for first place: Juventus take on city rivals Torino, while Lazio host AC Milan.

Juventus was competitive again after defeating Genoa 3-1 this past Tuesday, as Cristiano Ronaldo looked like his former self again by scoring a beauty. As a result, the Old Lady regained their four-point lead in the standings.

Should Torino, currently in 13th place, pull off an upset and Lazio were to win, the Romans would again come within a point of Juve. It would again be a title race.

It should be noted that Juventus and Lazio face off against each other on July 20 in a game that everyone expects will decide the championship.

Juventus, despite their depth and talent, have a tough schedule ahead of that match. After Torino, they are scheduled to play at AC Milan, home versus Atalanta and at Sassuolo before hosting Lazio. Again, don’t underestimate AC Milan and Atalanta grabbing upset wins here.

However, it’s most likely that Juventus grab the win against Torino and AC Milan, looking to finish in the top four, pulls off an upset against Lazio. That would give Juventus a seven-point edge, meaning the title race would be all but over. Neutrals are cheering for Lazio this weekend, but don’t underestimate the power of teams continuing to play the spoiler role this summer.