Serie A Roundup, Matchday 38
The 38th set of games in the 2023/24 Serie A season featured exciting matches, unexpected outcomes, and standout individual performances. Here is an overview of the weekend’s games.
Cagliari 2-3 Fiorentina
Claudio Ranieri’s final match as a manager ended in a loss, with his Cagliari team being defeated 3-2 at home by Fiorentina. This Cagliari loss secured European football for Fiorentina next season. The game took a dramatic turn in the 100th minute when VAR detected a foul in the penalty area by Alessandro Di Pardo on Lucas Beltrán. This resulted in a penalty kick, which Arthur Melo successfully converted to secure the win for Fiorentina. This victory also ensured Fiorentina’s participation in the UEFA Europa Conference League. Cagliari, on the other hand, suffered their first home defeat in seven matches as they bid farewell to the season.
Genoa 2-0 Bologna
In their first season back in Serie A, Genoa achieved their best league finish since 2015/16 by defeating a lackluster Bologna 2-0 at Stadio Luigi Ferraris. Bologna’s unbeaten streak of nine matches came to an end as departing manager Thiago Motta concluded his tenure with a loss. Despite this setback, Bologna’s performance secured them a spot in the upcoming UEFA Champions League, while Genoa will embark on their second season in the top-flight after comfortably avoiding relegation.
Juventus 2-0 Monza
Juventus ended their 2023/24 Serie A season positively by defeating Monza 2-0 at the Allianz Stadium. This victory marked their first win in seven Serie A matches and also extended Monza’s winless streak in the top-flight to nine games. Despite Monza making substitutions in an attempt to turn the game around, they were unable to take advantage of Juventus’ vulnerabilities. This win was only the second in nine matches across all competitions for Juventus. Monza’s last league win was in mid-March, and this loss marked their fifth consecutive winless away game.
AC Milan 3-3 Salernitana
Salernitana, who are at the bottom of the Serie A table, ended their season with an impressive comeback to secure a 3-3 draw against AC Milan. This result spoiled Stefano Pioli and Olivier Giroud’s final matches with Milan. Despite this setback, Milan managed to reach 75 points, marking the third time in four seasons under Pioli that they have achieved this total. On the other hand, Salernitana, who have not won a game in 2024 (with 5 draws and 16 losses), will now have to compete in Serie B.
Napoli 0-0 Lecce
Napoli ended their disappointing Serie A season with a lackluster goalless draw against Lecce, a stark contrast to their previous 4-0 victory. This result means Napoli will not be participating in European football next season. The team finished in 10th place after their seventh consecutive winless match, but managed to keep a clean sheet for the first time in 17 Serie A matches, avoiding an unwanted club record. On the other hand, Lecce can look forward to another season in the top tier after losing only one of their last six away games.
Atalanta 3-0 Torino
Atalanta continued their strong form after winning the UEFA Europa League by securing a top-four finish in Serie A with a 3-0 victory over Torino. Ademola Lookman, who scored a hat-trick in their previous match, found the back of the net again in an impressive performance. This win eliminated AS Roma from qualifying for the next season’s UEFA Champions League, while Torino’s chances of European football after five years depend on Fiorentina defeating Olympiacos in the UEFA Europa Conference League final.
Verona 2-2 Inter
Verona and Inter Milan ended their Serie A seasons with a 2-2 draw, halting Inter’s seven-game winning streak in their head-to-head matches. The game’s most memorable moment occurred in a humorous manner, likely to be featured in future football blooper reels. Verona’s Frattesi attempted a lob over Perilli, but Vinagre cleared the ball off the line, hitting his own crossbar. After some chaos in the penalty box, Verona managed to clear the ball. With both teams not needing points, Inter didn’t mind when Alexis Sánchez’s late goal was disallowed for offside, as they were looking forward to the summer break.
Lazio 1-1 Sassuolo
Sassuolo ended their 11-year run in Serie A with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Lazio, who were in seventh place. This draw also ended Lazio’s five-game winning streak at home. Despite being equalized, Lazio tried to score a late winning goal by putting pressure on Sassuolo. However, Cragno made two crucial saves to deny Guendouzi and Lazio’s top scorer Ciro Immobile, securing Sassuolo’s first away point against Lazio since July 2020. On the other hand, Lazio finished the season with an eight-game unbeaten streak and secured a spot in the Europa League.
Frosinone 0-1 Udinese
A goal by Keinan Davis in the second half, along with Empoli’s impressive win against AS Roma, resulted in Frosinone being relegated back to Serie B. Despite facing pressure, Udinese’s substitution by Cannavaro proved to be a game-changer, leading to a goal that left the fans ecstatic. Davis, who came on for Brenner at halftime, scored from close range after a clever play by Lorenzo Lucca. This defeat pushed Eusebio Di Francesco’s team to the brink of relegation, with Empoli securing their victory in stoppage time, ultimately sending Frosinone into the relegation zone and ensuring Udinese’s Serie A status for another season.
Empoli 2-1 AS Roma
Empoli scored a dramatic last-minute goal to avoid relegation and secure their place in Serie A for the third consecutive season. M’Baye Niang was the hero with the winning goal in the 93rd minute, overturning the possibility of relegation. This match will be remembered for Empoli’s fighting spirit until the end, as they made history by maintaining their top-flight status. The victory also ended Roma’s eight-match unbeaten record against Empoli in Serie A head-to-head matches. Despite the loss, Roma remains in sixth place in the table, ahead of city rivals Lazio due to their better head-to-head record.
Atalanta 2-3 Fiorentina
Atalanta missed the opportunity to move ahead of Juventus into third place and secure their seventh consecutive win in the Serie A season. Instead, Fiorentina won 3-2 with Andrea Belotti scoring twice, which softened the blow of his exclusion from the UEFA Euro 2024 squad. The match marked referee Daniele Orsato’s 289th and final Serie A game, with Fiorentina completing a league double over Atalanta.
