180 minutes left in fight for survival

With only 180 minutes left of the season, there’s no room for error at the bottom of the table. Lecce, Cremonese and Cagliari are fighting for the final two spots to stay in Serie A. One of these teams will be relegated to Serie B, while the other two will survive as Pisa and Verona are already mathematically relegated.

And then there’s the most dramatic possibility of all: if the teams in 17th and 18th finish level on points, the rules call for a two-legged relegation playoff, with the second and decisive match hosted by the higher-ranked team. It’s a scenario that’s far from unrealistic in a survival battle that keeps getting tighter week after week.

While the Giro d’Italia winds its way across the country, Serie A is also entering its final sprint. Lecce and Cremonese head into the last stretch after a season of highs and lows, setbacks and sudden surges. Both sides have struggled for consistency, yet each has managed to stay alive in the relegation battle through resilience when it mattered most. Now, though, it all comes down to what they have left in them - physically, mentally and emotionally. Just like in the toughest stages of a Grand Tour, the side that can stay composed in the final stretch may be the one that delivers the decisive breakaway.

Cagliari, meanwhile, have arrived at the final push with a more comfortable advantage. The Rossoblù still have their fate in their own hands, and only a major slip-up would put their survival at risk again. In such a short sprint, being ahead matters, it’s much harder to chase than to lead.

Cagliari, one more point to survive

Pisacane’s side need just one more point to stay up, although survival could even be confirmed without it if either Lecce or Cremonese fail to win.

The first match point will come at the Unipol Domus against Torino. A crucial game, because otherwise everything will come down to the final matchday at San Siro against Milan who are still in the race for a Champions League spot.

The reverse fixture against Torino was one of the turning points of Cagliari’s season: the win at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, with goals from Prati and Kılıçsoy, gave the team a real boost in confidence, with the Turkish talent also scoring the Iliad Goal of the Month in December. Since that winter breakthrough, though, the 2005-born former Besiktas forward’s scoring form has dropped off, and now coach Pisacane is looking for more from his key players.

Sebastiano Esposito remains the most consistent player in attack, while youngster Mendy arrives full of confidence after scoring the decisive goal in the crucial home win over Atalanta.

Lecce, the run-in that keep hopes alive

Lecce still have their fate in their own hands. Di Francesco’s side could even secure safety on matchday 37 if they beat Sassuolo, and Cremonese lose at the same time.

The Giallorossi will visit the Neroverdi before closing the season at the Via del Mare against Genoa, two teams with little left to play for in the table, and sides against whom Lecce drew 0-0 in both matches earlier in the season. This time, though, draws might not be enough.

If Lecce finish level on points with Cremonese, it would be the Grigiorossi who would host the second leg of a potential relegation playoff, due to their better head-to-head goal difference.

Lecce head into this decisive stage of the season in encouraging form. Over the last four matchdays, the Salentini have picked up five points, losing just once, and they continue to show character against teams in the lower half of the table. All eight of their league wins this season have come against opponents currently placed tenth or lower which fuels belief ahead of the run in. What’s at stake is historic: Lecce have never managed four consecutive seasons in Serie A, and survival this time would mark a first in the club’s history.

In attack, Banda remains the most unpredictable and dangerous player in Lecce’s squad, while Cheddira currently looks ahead of Štulić and Camarda in the attacking pecking order. The 2008-born striker has returned to the group after a long spell out and is eager to make an impact in the final stretch of the season. The hope is to replicate a similar story from the past, with another young striker developed in the Rossoneri academy, Lorenzo Colombo, who was a key figure in the dramatic survival achieved by Monza on the final day.

Cremonese, fighting until the end

The most complicated situation is still that of Cremonese. Giampaolo’s side know that even two wins from their remaining games may still not be enough to keep them up.

The Grigiorossi will first travel to Udinese, one of the most in-form teams in the closing stretch of the season, having lost just one of their last seven matches. The Friulani are keen to end the season on a high in front of their home fans, but they’ll be up against a Cremonese side in desperate need of points.

On the final matchday, the Zini will host Como, already guaranteed European football and potentially still in the hunt for a Champions League spot. It’s a tough test against a side that has dominant all season against teams in the bottom half of the table.

The 1-1 draws in the first meetings with Udinese and Como keep everything open, but two more draws might still not be enough for the Lombards, who would also have to hope for mistakes from Lecce.

Mentally, though, something seems to have clicked again after the win over Pisa. It was only their second victory of 2026, but perhaps the most important one. Leading the charge has been Jamie Vardy, who looks determined to avoid a second consecutive relegation after the one he suffered with Leicester. Alongside him, Federico Bonazzoli has also stepped up as a key attacking outlet. With nine goals, he is the second-highest scoring Italian in the league and heads into the run-in on the back of scoring in two consecutive appearances. Now he’ll be aiming to make it three at the most decisive point of the season.