Serie A Roundup, Matchday 34

The 34th round of games in the 2023/24 Serie A season featured exciting matches, unexpected outcomes, and impressive displays. Here is a recap of the weekend’s games.

Frosinone 3-0 Salernitana

Salernitana’s demotion to Serie B was confirmed after they were defeated 3-0 by Frosinone, ending a streak of five winless matches at the Stadio Benito Stirpe. Frosinone’s win moved them up to 16th place, 2 points ahead of Udinese. Salernitana, having only secured two league victories this season, now face the reality of playing in the second division next season. They will need to regroup quickly in order to make a comeback and return to the top tier.

Lecce 1-1 Monza

Nikola Krstović scored a late goal that seemed to give Lecce a win over Monza, but Matteo Pessina equalized with a penalty in the 96th minute to earn a draw for the visitors. The match appeared to be heading towards a goalless draw until Krstović scored a powerful goal, seemingly securing a victory for the hosts. However, the game ended in a thrilling manner as Lorenzo Venuti’s handball led to a penalty that Pessina converted confidently to ensure both teams shared the points.

Juventus 0-0 AC Milan

Juventus secured their third straight draw in Serie A after a scoreless tie against AC Milan at the Allianz Stadium. The Bianconeri have now gone unbeaten in six games (winning three and drawing three). Despite lineup adjustments, neither team managed to score a goal in the uneventful match. Milan, who did not have a shot on target, have not won in their last five games (losing three and drawing two) and are still five points ahead of Juventus in third place with four games left to play.

Lazio 1-0 Verona

Lazio secured their sixth win in eight matches across all competitions by defeating Hellas Verona 1-0 at the Stadio Olimpico. This victory marked their 15th unbeaten home game in 16 league matches, boosting their chances of securing a top six spot in Serie A. Meanwhile, Hellas Verona’s position in the top-flight remains precarious as they are only 2 points above the relegation zone, having won just five of their last 63 visits to the Stadio Olimpico.

Inter 2-0 Torino

Inter began their Serie A title celebrations by defeating Torino, who played with 10 men, in a comfortable victory. Inter has maintained a strong unbeaten home record in the league, winning 11 matches and drawing 2 in their last 13 home fixtures. Torino, who are 9 points away from a European qualification spot, seem to have lost their chances for a late surge as they continue to search for their first top-flight victory against Inter since April 2016. The victory for Inter marks a perfect start to their celebrations.

Bologna 1-1 Udinese

A fantastic late free-kick by Alexis Saelemaekers saved Bologna with a 1-1 draw against Udinese at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara. This denied Fabio Cannavaro his first win as Udinese manager. The result didn’t benefit either team in their pursuit of their goals. Udinese, who haven’t won since defeating Lazio in March, remain in the bottom three. Meanwhile, Motta will be disappointed that his team couldn’t secure a win despite extending their unbeaten run to seven games.

Napoli 2-2 AS Roma

Napoli and Roma had to settle for a draw in an exciting Serie A match at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Napoli has only managed to win one out of their last eight matches in all competitions (with four draws and three losses). The use of VAR was prominent throughout the game, with Roma benefiting from a late equalizer scored by Tammy Abraham from a corner kick.

This goal did not break Roma’s streak of not winning away matches against Napoli (with three draws and three losses), but it did earn them a valuable point in their pursuit of a Champions League spot, as they currently hold the final qualifying position. On the other hand, Napoli, who missed a chance to score a late winning goal when Osimhen was stopped by Svilar, now face a five-point gap to seventh place that may be too difficult to overcome.

Atalanta 2-0 Empoli

Despite still competing in other tournaments, Atalanta is just two points away from a spot in Serie A’s Champions League positions after a hard-fought 2-0 win against Empoli at the Gewiss Stadium. With a comfortable two-goal lead, Atalanta maintained control of the game, with Isak Hien and Aleksey Miranchuk both coming close to increasing their advantage. However, the match ended without further goals as Atalanta secured a straightforward victory. This victory once again demonstrated Atalanta’s ability to compete on multiple fronts, while Empoli’s struggles away from home continued with their fourth consecutive league defeat on the road.

Fiorentina 5-1 Sassuolo

ACF Fiorentina achieved their first consecutive Serie A wins since December by defeating US Sassuolo 5-1 at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. This victory left Sassuolo trailing by five points from safety with only four games left. Sassuolo eased off towards the end of the match, allowing Fiorentina to rest players for their upcoming UEFA Europa Conference League game against Club Brugge. The heavy loss could potentially seal Sassuolo’s fate, as they have only managed one win in their last 15 league matches, putting them at risk of relegation from Serie A for the first time.

Genoa 3-0 Cagliari

With just four games left, Genoa secured their Serie A safety with a 3-0 win over Cagliari, thanks to first-half goals from Morten Thorsby and Morten Frendrup. This victory ended Cagliari’s five-game unbeaten streak but left them only three points ahead of 18th-placed Udinese. Genoa, who had only earned six points in their last six matches, are now just four points away from 10th-placed Torino. Cagliari and their coach Ranieri may have many restless nights ahead, especially with upcoming matches against top-10 teams AC Milan and ACF Fiorentina, as well as a crucial game against fellow strugglers US Sassuolo.