Special scenario in Serie A: Napoli, Inter compete in play-off for silver cup

The top European football leagues such as England, Germany, Spain and France have all determined the winner of their national championships. However, the race for silverware is still not over in Italy. Napoli and Inter Milan will play their final match of the season in the early morning of May 24, when the two teams are separated by only one point in the tense race for the Serie A championship.

Napoli and Inter Milan are likely to have to compete in a play-off to determine the Serie A champion (Photo: Getty).

The Italian Football Federation announced the schedule for round 38, which is also the final round of Serie A, yesterday (May 19), where two championship candidates opened this dramatic week.

Leaders Napoli, with 79 points, host mid-table Cagliari, while Inter travel to Cesc Fabregas's Como, who are already assured of 10th place.

If Napoli win, Antonio Conte's side will be crowned Serie A champions for the fourth time in their history. Napoli will also be crowned champions if they achieve the same result as Inter. If Inter win and Napoli lose, the Nerazzurri will retain the Scudetto.

Both teams will play without managers Antonio Conte and Simone Inzaghi after being sent off for their Round 37 matches, which took place last weekend.

Napoli coach Conte was sent off during the goalless draw with Parma for an argument with the opposition coaching staff, while Inzaghi was sent off for protesting when Inter were awarded a penalty in the 2-2 draw with Lazio.

Napoli fans regret when their team could not beat Parma in round 37 (Photo: Getty)

If Napoli lose to Cagliari and Inter draw with Como, the two teams will both have 79 points and will be forced to face each other in a play-off to determine the champion. Since Serie A uses head-to-head results to determine rankings when two teams are level on points, both matches between Napoli and Inter this season have ended 1-1. So, in the event of two teams being level on points at the top of the table, a play-off would be required, rather than considering other criteria.

If this scenario happens, the decisive match for the Serie A title will take place on May 26, just five days before Inter face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final.

Remarkably, Serie A history has only required a play-off to decide the title once, when Inter lost to Bologna in 1964.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/kich-ban-dac-biet-tai-serie-a-napoli-inter-thi-dau-play-off-tranh-cup-bac-20250520060828183.htm