Suffice it to say, the last round of Serie A matches produced some interesting results. None of the teams sitting in the top four places - Milan, Inter, Napoli, and Juventus - were able to win their respective games. Surprisingly, all of these four sides didn't face each other, but rather took on minnows, with Milan stumbling to a shock draw with bottom-placed Salernitana, Inter enduring frustration once again against Sassuolo, Juventus conceding to settle for a draw in the Derby della Mole, and Napoli cutting a surprisingly subdued figure as they were unable to find a way past relegation-threatened Cagliari.
So with that in mind, it's safe to say that all of these teams will be eager to get back to winning ways as the Scudetto race really heats up.
Here's all you need to know ahead of what's surely set to be a very interesting weekend as matchday 27 gets underway.
Serie A standings heading into matchday 27
Here's how the top five looks ahead of the next round of fixtures.
Serie A games you won't want to miss on matchday 27
Milan vs Udinese: Following their surprise 2-2 draw with struggling Salernitana, Milan, who presently are on top of the Serie A table by two points, will naturally look to avoid another slip-up when they welcome Udinese to the Stadio San Siro on Friday evening. The Rossoneri have won just two of their last five games, and despite holding a slim lead, both Napoli and Inter still do have a match each in hand. Meanwhile, visiting Udinese have again had a rough time this season, as the Zebrette currently find themselves in 16th place with just one win from their last five. However, Udinese did hold Milan to a one-all draw in the reverse fixture earlier this term, so the Diavolo will certainly be taking lessons from their mistakes against to avoid dropping points in Friday's game.
Genoa vs Inter: Sassuolo proved, once again, to be a nuisance for Inter as they beat the Nerazzurri at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza last time out. As such, Simone Inzaghi's side, who have lost two of their last three games in Serie A and have won just one of their last five, will really need to get the show back on the road when they travel to face struggling Genoa. The Grifone sit in 19th spot and are looking set for the drop, but Inter will not be taking their opponents lightly - especially seeing how Salernitana managed to battle to a draw with their cross-town rivals Milan in the last round. Although Inter do have a game in hand, Inzaghi won't be relying on that to be the deciding factor, and will demand a better response from his players after some negative results in the past few weeks.
Empoli vs Juventus: After dropping points in a stalemate against Torino in the Derby della Mole last Friday, followed by again conceding to end up drawing with Villarreal in the Champions League, one can certainly assume that Massimiliano Allegri will expect his troops to get themselves out of this rut quickly when they travel to face Empoli on Saturday. The Bianconeri will have to make do without key midfielder Weston McKennie after the American international sustained a fractured foot during the clash in Spain, which adds more selection worries for Allegri, who is already without other key players like Giorgio Chiellini, Paulo Dybala, and Federico Chiesa as Juve heads into the latter part of the season. Empoli, for their part, have picked up just three points from their last five, but the Azzurri are looking pretty sure to secure their top flight status for next season.
Spezia vs Roma: Although they are unbeaten in their last five, Roma have drawn their last three games. And despite Spezia being on a two game losing streak, the Giallorossi will have to face the minnows sans Jose Mourinho on the bench, who has received a multi-game ban for lashing out against officials during Roma's draw with Hellas Verona. Roma currently rest in eighth spot, but still could see their standings in the table improve due to how congested things are and the fact that cross-town rivals Lazio will face a tough test against Napoli.
Lazio vs Napoli: Maurizio Sarri will again reunite with his former side when Lazio welcome Napoli to the Eternal City on Sunday evening. This game will be another tough one for Napoli, who've had to face Barcelona twice in the span of one week, as well as Inter and will be set to face Milan in the next round. Man-management will be essential for Luciano Spalletti, who will come into this contest knowing that his side will need to do much better than their performance against Cagliari if they want to get their Scudetto campaign back on track after a slight wobble.
Team news for matchday 27
*All info as of 24 February 2022
Milan: Ismaël Bennacer (Suspended), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Achilles tendon injury), Simon Kjaer (Knee injury)
Inter: Robin Gosens (Hamstring injury), Joaquín Correa (Hamstring injury)
Napoli: Kévin Malcuit (Calf injury), Stanislav Lobotka (Hamstring injury), André Zambo Anguissa (Muscle tear), Hirving Lozano (Shoulder injury)
Juventus: Kaio Jorge (Knee injury), Giorgio Chiellini (Calf injury), Daniele Rugani (Hip injury), Paulo Dybala (Thigh injury), Alex Sandro (Calf Injury), Weston McKennie (Fractured foot), Federico Chiesa (Knee injury)
Roma: Henrikh Mkhitaryan (COVID-19), Nicolò Zaniolo (Muscular problems), Carles Pérez (COVID-19), Eldor Shomurodov (COVID-19), Pietro Boer (COVID-19), Stephan El Shaarawy (Calf injury), Roger Ibañez (Rib injury), Leonardo Spinazzola (Knee injury)
Lazio: Pedro (Ankle injury), Francesco Acerbi (Fitness), Patryk Dziczek (Heart condition), Manuel Lazzari (Hamstring injury)
