With leaders Inter Milan not in action this weekend due to their COVID outbreak, the spotlight shined on the rest of the big Serie A clubs, most notably defending champions Juventus.
The Old Lady’s dreams of winning a 10th straight Scudetto look well and truly over after a shock defeat at home to Benevento.
But more worryingly for the Bianconeri, they are suddenly in some danger of missing out on Champions League qualification for next season as Atalanta and Napoli keep winning, which is another sign that drastic changes must be made.
Meanwhile, the two Rome clubs are getting ready to fight it out for that final spot in the Europa League and Milan just about kept their title hopes alive.
Here are SBOTOP’s four main takeaways from the latest round of Serie A fixtures.
Big changes needed at faltering Juventus
Juventus’ season is going from bad to worse. After getting knocked out in the Champions League round of 16 by Porto, they are suddenly in danger of qualifying for next year’s competition after Benevento defied the Serie A 2021 betting odds by beating the defending champions 1-0 at the Allianz Stadium.
That loss sees Juve drop down to fourth place, although they still have a game in hand over Atalanta in third and are two points clear of Napoli in fifth.
In case it was not clear enough before, though, this latest loss just underscores the need for a major overhaul at Juventus. They have been in a downward trajectory both domestically and in Europe since moving on from Massimiliano Allegri two seasons ago, and it has gotten worse this season.
Their decision to bring in a completely untested new manager in Andrea Pirlo has proven to be a poor one, and their squad has also fallen behind in terms of quality.
Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli is busy trying to make big changes to the Champions League format, but he would be wise to make similarly significant moves to improve his club, which continues to trend in the wrong direction.
Whether it’s moving on from Pirlo or the ‘GOAT’ Cristiano Ronaldo (or perhaps both), big changes need to come at Juventus and soon.
Gasperini, Gattuso doing great job to stay in top-4 race
Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso celebrates after a Serie A win
Juve’s place in next year’s Champions League is looking in serious doubt because Atalanta and Napoli just keep winning games. Both sides picked up big 2-0 away wins over the weekend — Atalanta at Verona and Napoli at Roma — to keep their top-four hopes alive.
Atalanta and Napoli have had an impressive run of Serie A 2021 results over the last few weeks. Atalanta have won six of their last seven games — with their only loss coming against leaders Inter — and Napoli have won three in a row.
Despite their disappointing Champions League exit to Real Madrid, Gian Piero Gasperini has once again done a wonderful job at Atalanta. La Dea continue to punch above their weight even with their financial limitations and an ageing squad, which is a testament to Gasperini’s managerial skills.
Similarly, Gattuso has been brilliant at Napoli amid the speculation about his future. He might still be let go even if he does lead Napoli back to the Champions League; the rift with owner Aurelio de Laurentiis might be beyond repair. But he is showing in Naples that he is quite a capable manager and likely won’t be out of a job for too long.
Rome clubs set to battle for last Europa League spot
The battle for the Champions League spots is not the only exciting race in Italy. The chase for the last Europa League place is also looking quite interesting with fierce rivals Roma and Lazio set to fight it out.
After a shock defeat to relegation strugglers Parma, Roma lost their second game in a row as they went down 2-0 at home to Napoli. And they also have their Europa League quarter-final with Ajax, which will be an added distraction in the next few weeks.
Roma’s recent stumbles have allowed Lazio to catch up thanks to their back-to-back wins. Unlike the Giallorossi, the Biancocelesti are out of Europe and can now focus completely on Serie A from here on out.
The two sides will still meet for the second Rome derby on the penultimate round of the season. If the Europa League race goes right down to the wire, that match could very well decide which Rome club captures that final European spot.
Zlatan returns to keep Milan’s faint title hopes alive
With Inter not in action this weekend, second-placed AC Milan had the chance to cut the Nerazzurri’s lead. The Rossoneri very nearly squandered that chance, but they eventually came from behind to beat Fiorentina, 3-2.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic starred as he made his first start in almost a month. He scored Milan’s opening goal and also hit the woodwork twice. The 39-year-old has now scored 15 goals in 15 league appearances this season, which is an incredible strike rate.
Milan still have six points to gain on rivals Inter, who have won eight in a row and still have a game in hand. But if Zlatan can remain healthy for the last 10 games of the season, there’s still a chance Milan can make the title chase a bit more interesting.
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The post Serie A: Juventus’ Top-4 Status Suddenly Looking Unsafe appeared first on SBOTOP.
