With Internazionale already crowned champions, Serie A’s penultimate matchday was entirely about the desperate scramble for the top four and the ultimate battle for survival.
What a Sunday it was. From blood-boiling brawls in Rome to a jaw-dropping Juventus meltdown in Turin, Matchday 37 delivered pure drama from the first whistle to the last. Antonio Conte’s Napoli officially booked their ticket to Europe’s elite table, but the remaining spots are a massive, five-team mathematical nightmare heading into the final week.
Here is how a thrilling Sunday of Italian football unfolded.
1. Capital Punishment: Roma Rule Rome Amid Derby Day Violence
If you want an elite definition of “bad blood,” look no further than the Stadio Olimpico. Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma took a massive step toward a Champions League return with a ferocious 2-0 victory over bitter rivals Lazio, but the football was entirely overshadowed by multiple full-scale brawls.
The Giallorossi took control through Gianluca Mancini, who rose highest to absolute perfection, meeting a teasing Paulo Dybala corner to bullet a header past Alessio Furlanetto.
The stadium erupted, and so did the tempers.
The match rapidly disintegrated into a warzone, with players clashing violently after both goals. The second half saw Donyell Malen sting the keeper’s palms before Mancini double-downed, heading home another corner to make it 2-0.
In the chaotic aftermath of the second goal, things boiled over completely. Roma defender Wesley and Lazio midfielder Nicolò Rovella were spotted trading heavy blows in a frantic pitch-side melee. Referee Michael Salisbury threw red cards at both men in the 69th minute, leaving both sides with ten men to navigate an incredibly tense finish. Roma held firm, leaving Lazio’s winless streak in the derby stretching to five games.
2. Christian Pulisic Sparks AC Milan’s Gritty Away Triumph
AC Milan finally stopped their recent bleeding, overcoming a turbulent fortnight and back-to-back defeats to edge past Genoa 2-1 at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium. Max Allegri’s men showed incredible defensive steel in an ugly, high-stakes encounter.
The deadlock was broken early in the second half when Christopher Nkunku was ruthlessly brought down in the penalty box. Nkunku dusted himself off and buried the 51st-minute penalty with ice-cold precision.
The masterstroke, however, came from the bench. Returning from a nagging lower-back injury earlier than expected, Christian Pulisic entered the fray in the 76th minute and made an instantaneous impact. Just five minutes after his introduction, the American winger delivered a brilliant, intuitive layout to Zachary Athekame, who lashed a low bullet into the bottom corner from outside the area to make it 2-0.
A late, unforced error allowed Johan Vásquez to pull one back for Genoa in the 86th minute, setting up a nervous finish, but the Rossoneri held on for a crucial three points.
3. Champions League Math: Who Goes Through?
Antonio Conte’s Napoli did their job early, cruising to a comfortable 3-0 victory over already-relegated Pisa thanks to goals from Scott McTominay, Amir Rrahmani, and Rasmus Højlund. The win officially locks Napoli into the top four.
Behind them, the math is pure insanity:
• AC Milan & Roma sit level in 3rd and 4th place on 70 points.
• Juventus & Como are breathing heavily down their necks, just two points behind on 68 points.
Juventus missed a golden opportunity to cement their spot, turning in a miserable, toothless performance to lose 2-0 at home to fierce rivals Fiorentina. The Bianconeri were roundly jeered off the Allianz Stadium pitch after picking up a catastrophic red card in the 71st minute.
Meanwhile, Cesc Fàbregas’ fairytale rise with Como continues. The newcomers held on for a magnificent 1-0 win over Parma, meaning a club that was playing in Italy’s fourth division just seven years ago goes into the final day with a legitimate shot at qualifying for the Champions League.
4. Inter Double Party at the San Siro
The atmosphere at the San Siro was entirely celebratory. Inter Milan, having locked up the Scudetto with three rounds to spare and clinched the Coppa Italia last week, toasted their first domestic double since 2010.
While the match itself ended in a low-tempo 1-1 stalemate against Hellas Verona, nobody in the blue-and-black half of Milan cared. The final whistle signaled the start of an emotional trophy presentation, with Lautaro Martínez lifting the Serie A crown before the squad departed on a massive open-top bus parade through streets packed with thousands of fanatical Nerazzurri supporters.
