After crashing to defeat in Bologna, Napoli now know that Champions League qualification is out of their hands. The southerners must hope that both Udinese and Lazio drop points in their games and that they themselves can beat Siena in the final round of fixtures to secure another year in Europe’s premier competition.
Walter Mazzarri has been heavily criticised for the defeat in Bologna after Napoli. Despite being in the final Champi...More
Only four rounds remain and the race to secure the final Champions League position is still wide open. Five sides – Lazio, Napoli, Udinese, Inter and Roma – are in the hunt but after respective runs of pitiful form, are crawling towards the finish line. Two direct matchups take place this weekend, making Round 35 pivotal in the final reckoning.
Somehow still third, Lazio – 55 points – travels north to face Udinese (fifth, 52). Whilst...More
Udinese and Napoli were left frustrated after Sunday’s 2-2 draw as both wasted a golden opportunity to push on in the race for the Champions League. Level on 47 points before kick-off, a victory for either side would have consolidated fourth position, and with Nicola Legrottaglie scoring a late winner for Catania over Lazio, the door to third was momentarily opened. The point will be received much more gratefully by the Partenopei dead ...More
Claudio Ranieri's tenure as Inter Milan's Coach seems to be drawing to an end as the Nerazzurri fell to its fifth loss in its last six Serie A games. Ironically, if Sunday's game at the Stadio San Paolo were to be his last his tenure would have ended the same way his predecessor's did, with a three-man defence. The former Roma man deployed a Gasperini-esque backline (in the second half) in an attempt to counter Walter Mazzarri's tactics...More
After knocking out Manchester City and qualifying from their Champions League group, Napoli forced Europe to sit up and take notice. A season after an exhilarating campaign which had Italy buzzing, Europe discovered the hype.
Not accustomed to the additional fixtures, Napoli struggled with squad rotation and fatigue in matches dotted around their European adventure. They won two out of six prior and two from five after Champions Lea...More
The negative consequence of Italian clubs underperforming in Europe during recent seasons (despite two Champions League crowns) was the loss of the coveted fourth Champions League position. Nonetheless, it has ensured a fascinating showdown in the league this season for third, now the last qualifying spot. Juventus and Milan look to have a lock on the top two, but behind is a cluster of hopefuls seeking a place at Europe’s top table.
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