Serie A

Fate of title will be decided by relegation battle

By Ravin Sampat ⋅ May 14, 2008 ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Serie A surely has the last laugh as title decider goes to the wire in Europe’s most exciting league, writes Ravin Sampat

Sometimes I hate the English media. They always tend to depict Italy’s Serie A as the most boring, most dire, most uneventful league in Europe, if not the world. But let me say this; this season the Serie A title race is as exciting as the English Premier League finale, if not spicier.

Probably about half of the footballing fans around the world watched in anticipation as Chelsea and Manchester United slugged out their title finale on Sunday. It was not as exciting as I anticipated, but all the same, it was fun to watch and ended a thoroughly good season.

Compared to Europe’s other leagues, Serie A has not had an exciting finale like this in a long time. Last season, Real Madrid won the La Liga title through their head-to-head matches with rivals Barcelona after finishing with the same number of points. In the Premier League this year, both Chelsea and Manchester United went to the wire with United being crowned Champions on Sunday. Both exciting endings to those respective seasons. But the third best league in Europe is surely now having the last laugh.

Commentators and pundits always describe the league as the most boring of all of those in Europe. Of course, many of these so-called pundits are free to their opinion, as it seemed almost unavoidable that league leaders Inter would run away with the title, especially since Roma’s charge faltered with weak draws to lower opposition.

Three weeks ago, Inter were six points ahead with three games remaining. With one game left, they are now a mere point ahead. The situation is clear; the Scudetto is NOT guaranteed to go back to the San Siro, and even if Luciano Spalletti has stated that Inter’s title is back in their hands, results in recent games suggest otherwise. Mind games? Not at all. Roma could still pip the Nerazzurri to the final hurdle and celebrate a thoroughly entertaining end to a fantastic Serie A season. Credit must go to Roma and Inter, for they have created a fascinating finale to a fabulous season.

The Scudetto

Roma lie one point behind Inter, with one game to go. It’s simple really. If Inter win, they lift the Scudetto; if Inter lose, and Roma win, then the title returns to the Capital after a seven-year absence. If Inter draw, then Roma must win, and anything but a Roma win will hand Inter the title. Sounds simple, but all is not what it seems.

The line between winning and losing is so thin

Unfortunately for Inter and Roma, the route to the Scudetto is not as easy as one may think. Both teams face tough opposition on Sunday in the form of Catania and Parma. Scheduled as easy fixtures in March, favourable reactions have now turned to groans, particularly as one of Parma or Catania will be joining the already relegated Livorno. The situation is spicier then an Indian dish.

Parma must beat Inter, and hope Catania lose to Roma to have a chance of staying up. Conversely, Catania must beat Roma and hope Inter beat Parma to ensure they stay up. Parma are the highest scorers in the bottom half of the table, whilst Catania join Empoli as the lowest scorers. That is a good sign for Roma, who will hope Parma can score against Inter whilst their opposition continue their drought in front of goal. A draw is not an option for any of the four teams: it’s win or nothing.

What happened to Milan after the derby win?

Milan played extremely well against Inter, and it has often troubled me how they have not captured this form over the whole season.

Surgical changes to an ageing squad are needed, but what’s more important is that the players and staff understand that the Milanesque school of 2003-2005 is not the same as the one currently present.

The derby win demonstrated a change in style, and with most things going through Kaka, Milan found it easier playing directly against Inter’s backline, a tactic that meant man-marking Kaka was not as efficient in previous matches. Winning the derby proved a small sign to a change in the Milan way under Ancelotti. As I had stated previously, the prospect of Milan beating Inter was very high, not least because the consequences of not being in next season’s Champions League would have confirmed the Rossonerri’s failure over the season.

But they say things happen in three, and with Fiorentina losing and Milan winning, it was certain that the weekend would end on a high for Kaka and co, ensured by Arsenal’s tireless midfielder Mathieu Flamini’s confirmed transfer to the club.

However, the tide has turned again. Milan lost 3-1 at Napoli and Fiorentina took advantage of this and now find themselves back in the driving seat. Fourth spot is out of Milan’s hands. They may end up looking on if Fiorentina end the season with a win. Will the lack of Champions League football deter Kaka away? Has Flamini made a mistake? Questionable times ahead.

The final day of the campaign will see a Champions League place decided, a relegation battle concluded and the most tightly contested Scudetto in years come to a thrilling climax. The excitement of Inter’s persistence, Roma’s footballing style, the emergence of Juventus, and the tightly drawn out battles between the minnows below have made this season’s Scudetto thoroughly enjoyable. Watching Milan struggle, Udinese impress, and Parma fall to new lows have encapsulated a fantastic year for Italian football.

Sadly for all teams involved, the interweaving between success and failure is so great that the final day will prove a fairytale ending for only a select few, while the others contemplate what could have been.

Arriverderci

Tags: AC Milan, AS Roma, Catania, Fiorentina, Inter Milan, Juventus, Parma, Serie A

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