The 2021-22 season in the Italian top-flight is about to conclude, with the title and the battle to avoid relegation being the major points of discussion among fans. The title race is narrowed down to two teams, but the struggle at the other end has included quite a few more contenders.
The weekend will kick off early with the clash featuring Inter and Empoli, which could be decisive for the Scudetto race. The nerazzurri side can't afford to drop points, and if they can combine a win in their match with a loss for Milan, they could be in the driver's seat for the final two games. Their rivals for the crown will have to wait until Sunday to take the pitch against Hellas Verona, in what should be quite an entertaining game to follow.
Without further ado, let's have a closer look at how things look like in the Italian Serie A ahead of the 36th weekend of the calendar.
League standings ahead of Matchweek 36 in the Italian Serie A
Milan top the league with 77 points with three games left. One more win here for the rossoneri and a loss for Inter, second with 75 points, would most definitely give the title to Stefano Pioli's team. Napoli and Juventus have already secured their spots in next year's UEFA Champions League, but the bianconeri could still leapfrog Napoli in third place if things go their way in the league's final stretch.
While the UEFA CL spots have been handed out, the struggle for the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League is still in full motion. Roma, Lazio, Fiorentina, and even Atalanta are still involved in this race, with the clash between Fiorentina and Roma on Monday promising to have a lot to do in the definition of that saga.
The lower end of the table is also entering its defining moments, with Venezia already thinking about their run in Serie B next season. Genoa and Cagliari still have a fighting chance, but their numbers throughout the season would make it quite unfair to see them keeping their spot in the Serie A while Salernitana or Spezia have won more games than them this season.
Top games to watch in the Italian Serie A
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Inter vs Empoli - Inter continue their quest to take the title away from Milan, while Empoli keep trying to save face in the tournament after escaping relegation in the past weeks.
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Genoa vs Juventus - The hosts face one of their last chances to escape relegation spots, while Juventus aim to finish the season in style, which would mean taking the third place away from Napoli.
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Lazio vs Sampdoria - The team from the Italian capital are level with Roma at 59 points, but they need to improve their goal difference to beat Mourinho's men in the quest for the only available spot in the UEFA Europa League, which would only be possible if they can beat the relegation-threatened Sampdoria.
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Hellas Verona vs Milan - The away side need to hold on for two more weeks to claim one more title, but their trip to Verona could be tricky to survive. The hosts will enter this clash on a three-game streak without a loss, and extending it to four could bring new life to the title race.
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Fiorentina vs Roma - Mourinho's men have focused on reaching the UEFA Europa Conference League, but once they have grabbed a spot in the title clash, they will want to go back to winning ways in the domestic tournament when they visit Fiorentina, a team that has lost three in a row prior to their meeting on Monday.
Serie A - Who's in and who's out of Matchweek 36?
Inter - Injured: Nicoló Barella, Alessandro Bastoni.
Juventus - Injured: Juan Cuadrado, Mattia De Sciglio, Manuel Locatelli, Federico Chiesa, Kaio Jorge, Weston McKennie.
Lazio - Injured: Pedro, Patryk Dziczek.
Milan - Injured: Alessandro Florenzi, Simon Kjaer.
Napoli - No injured players.
Roma - Injured: Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Serie A - Matchweek 36 broadcast info
