We have a fresh batch of Serie A games this weekend and the title race is as open as possible. Inter Milan won and put themselves potentially at the top of the league with one game in hand against Bologna. AC Milan drew again and lost pace and Napoli lost at home to Fiorentina. We have some movement in the regelation battle as well, and when it comes to Europa League spots, only Atalanta lost track. You can watch the best Serie A has to offer all season long on Paramount+. Without further ado, let's dive into the rankings.
Serie A title contenders
The teams that are in the race to win the scudetto this season.
1. Inter Milan (-): After a rough patch that lasted for nearly eight weeks, Inter Milan finally seem to be back on track with back-to-back victories for the first time in the 2022 calendar year. The wins came against Juventus Nerazzurri at home and against Hellas Verona as they are now potentially at the top of the table with one game in hand (vs. Bologna).
Remaining matches (7): Spezia (A), Roma (H), Bologna (A), Udinese (A), Empoli (H), Cagliari (A), Sampdoria (H),
2. AC Milan (-): Back-to-back draws have made things worrisome for AC Milan. They dropped points, but most importantly, they have gone 211 minutes without a goal and only three in the last five matches as they nurse injuries. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is out again and will miss at least the next two games.
Remaining matches (6): Genoa (H), Lazio (A), Fiorentina (H), Hellas Verona (A), Atalanta (H), Sassuolo (A).
3. Napoli (-): The expectations were heightened ahead of last weekend's match against Fiorentina. It was a crucial game that would've brought Napoli atop the table, but they came up short and dug themselves a hole by conceding three in front of 55,000 raucous fans at the Stadio Maradona. They're still in the scudetto race, but they can't afford many disappointing days like that the rest of the way, especially with Roma up next.
Remaining matches (6): Roma (H), Empoli (A), Sassuolo (H), Torino (A), Genoa (H), Spezia (A).
European spots
Clubs that are fighting to play in Europe next season.
4. Juventus (-): The feeling is that this team could be part of the scudetto conversation already this season if they managed to win at least one or two key clashes against the top teams. Massimiliano Allegri said that they will focus on next season, but top three is within grasp if they get some positive results down the stretch.
5. Roma (-): Good vibes for a Jose Mourinho's side that seemed like a topsy-turvy team a few weeks ago. In Serie A, they haven't lost a single game since January and they are now focusing on securing the fifth place. That's a solid starting point for next season when the fans will demand more from the Special One and his boys.
6. Fiorentina (+2): Once again, this is a team that needs to be taken in account as a spoiler for top positions, especially for next season. It's been an oustanding job by Vincenzo Italiano even after losing Dusan Vlahovic in January. New signings Jonathan Ikoné and Rafael Cabral are performing well as Fiorentina are one of the best sides in terms of quality in Italy.
7. Lazio (-): There's some promise being shown by Maurizio Sarri's side, which is encouraging for the future. Lazio won easily against Genoa and are now fully in the race for a Europa League spot for next season. We've seen some consistency as of late, especially following the disappointing result in the derby game against AS Roma a few weeks ago.
8. Atalanta (-2): Another rough week for Atalanta with another loss, this time to Sassuolo. They have won only three Serie A games in the 2022 calendar year. Gian Piero Gasperini has to be worried as they fail to perform as they did in the past and are much more passive against manageable opponents. It's boom or bust for them in the Europa League, which is their only door available to the Champions League.
Middle of the pack
These teams are definitely going to stay in the league but have no chance to play in European competitions next season.
9. Sassuolo (+1): A strong win against Atalanta is further proof that this is a team that can only improve next season under Alessio Dionisi, who started this new cycle last summer. It will be interesting to know how many players the club will be able to keep in the offseason. Hamed Traorè Jr. is in the midst of a career season with five of his six league goals coming in 2022.
10. Hellas Verona (-1): Losing at San Siro against Inter Milan was expected, but that doesn't take away the fact that this has been one of their best seasons in recent years. Igor Tudor was able to keep up the job started by Ivan Juric which was not an easy ask.
11. Torino (-): Speaking of Juric, Torino drew against AC Milan and finally showed why they are a tough nut to crack. The feeling is that the manager needs to be supported in the summer. If the club adequately back him, the fans will only benefit from it in the future.
12. Bologna (+2): Four points in the last two matches against AC Milan and Sampdoria. The team has rallied around coach Sinisa Mihajlovic, who has been sidelined with cancer treatment, in a major way as they hope to end the season on a high note.
13. Udinese (-1): Winning against Venezia in the last minutes was the definitive proof of the job that Gabriele Cioffi is doing since he was appointed. Udinese are now in a safe spot and can plan the future, hopefully with the same manager on the bench.
14. Spezia (+1): Another good result for Thiago Motta'a side, which settled for a draw against Empoli and made another step toward safety. Considering they couldn't improve the team in January due to a transfer ban, Thiago Motta has done a fantastic job, which I'm sure will turn heads.
15. Empoli (-2): Not a particularly good moment for a side that failed to win a single match in 2022, but are in a safe position after a good first part of the season. Aurelio Andreazzoli needs to find some points before the end of the season but his job has already been pretty solid overall.
Relegation zone
These sides are struggling and are fighting to keep their spot in Serie A for next season.
16. Sampdoria (-): Marco Giampaolo's return to the Sampdoria bench hasn't been particularly exciting, but they've managed to improve their position based on what happened to the other rivals. Following a loss to Bologna, they are in need of a reaction against Salernitana.
17. Cagliari (-): Another rough weekend for Cagliari following a home loss to Juventus. They're yet again in a very dangerous position, only three points ahead of Genoa and from the relegation zone. It will be a dramatic race until the last game of the season.
18. Genoa (-): After finding his first career Serie A win against Torino, Alexander Blessin's Genoa lost to Hellas Verona and last weekend to Lazio, which substantially slashed their chances of staying up. It's not over until it's over, especially considering that their rivals are not doing well at all.
19. Venezia (-): Winning against Udinese could have boosted their hopes of staying up next season. This team has lost its confidence in the last months. Seems like they're destined to rejoin Serie B at this point.
20. Salernitana (-): New week, same Salernitana. Another loss, this time to AS Roma. We are now just waiting to know when their relegation will be made official. It's a matter of weeks, sadly.
