A matchday full of last-minute deciders

Matchday 24 of Serie A Enilive was packed with drama right until the final whistle. Last-minute goals and game-changing moments in added time reshaped the Champions League race, the Scudetto, and the relegation battle, making it a weekend of intense drama. Højlund, Maripán, Ordóñez, Banda, and Kalulu all scored last-minute decisive goals, and Inter continued with their flawless form, featuring a goal from Luis Henrique in the 89th minute. At the top, Napoli have turned things around to claim three points at Marassi, reestablishing their spot in the top four, while Juventus secured a draw at the Stadio Olimpico, denying Roma the chance to jump ahead of them in the table. In the relegation battle, Torino, Parma, and Lecce all found crucial wins, while Cremonese moved further into the danger zone despite another last-minute goal from Thorsby, which ultimately didn’t bring them any points.

**Hellas Verona 0‑0 Pisa
**Few chances, plenty of tension, and a point apiece for Sammarco and Hiljemark, both making their Serie A debuts on the bench. The clash at the Bentegodi ended goalless in this direct relegation battle, leaving Verona and Pisa level on 15 points. Most of the opportunities hit the woodwork, including when Orban struck the post in the first half, and Moreo did the same in the second. Pisa’s defence seemed promising as they kept a clean sheet in a league game for the first time since last November, bringing their streak of 12 consecutive games conceding at least one goal to an end. On the other side, Verona managed to end their streak of four consecutive home defeats.

**Genoa 2‑3 Napoli
**This game reflected the highs and lows of the matchday, with the outcome determined at the death. Genoa got off to a strong start and took the lead after just 2 minutes and 34 seconds through a penalty from Malinovskyi, which was the Grifone have ever scored since the introduction of the 20-team format in 2004/05. Napoli responded with intensity, and in the span of just 115 seconds,  from the 20th to the 22nd minute, Højlund and McTominay turned the game around. Colombo secured the equaliser for Genoa, and when the scoreline seemed fixed, a decisive penalty at the 95th minute saw Højlund convert his very first penalty in Europe’s top five leagues. The Danish striker has now amassed twelve goals this season, the only Napoli player in double figures across all competitions. For Genoa, Malinovskyi scored in his third consecutive game. Napoli, on the other hand, have claimed a concerning stat as the team that has conceded the most penalties this season (seven, tied with AC Milan).

**Fiorentina 2-2 Torino
**At the Franchi, it was another Fiorentina game featuring late comebacks. Torino took the lead through Casadei, but Fiorentina responded by making a comeback with goals from Solomon and Kean. In added time, Maripán headed home at the 93rd minute, bringing the stadium to a standstill. The goal reflects one of Fiorentina’s major weaknesses this season, as they are the team in the top five European leagues that have dropped the most points from winning positions this season (22), ten of which came in added time. Some of the Viola’s highlights featured Solomon, who scored for the second consecutive match, and Mandragora, who equaled his personal record for goal contributions in Serie A this season (seven: six goals, one assist). For Torino, the point keeps Baroni’s side safely outside the relegation zone.

**Bologna 0-1 Parma
**It was a difficult ending for Bologna, but a crucial victory for Parma. Christian Ordóñez scored the decider in the 95th minute with a long-range strike, earning three crucial points in the relegation battle. The Gialloblù scored with their only shot on target, while Orsolini hit the crossbar for the fifth time this season, making it a league record. This is now Bologna’s fourth consecutive home defeat, highlighting a sharp drop in form: since December, no team has collected fewer home points (one in seven games). On the other hand, Parma have earned the majority of their points on the road (16 of 26), more than any other Serie A team proportionally. The hero of the day, 2004-born Argentinian Ordóñez, scored his first Serie A goal and is Parma’s youngest goalscorer of the season.

**Lecce 2-1 Udinese
**At the Via del Mare, Lameck Banda’s last-minute masterpiece, a curled shot to secure the decisive goal in the 90th minute and make it 2-1, gave Lecce their first victory of 2026. Those three points were key for the Salentini, ending a difficult spell.

Before the decisive free-kick from the Zambian winger, Lecce started strong, taking the lead with Gandelman in the fifth minute (his first Serie A goal), and Udinese equalised through Solet from the penalty spot after a late foul from Gaspar on Zemura in the box.

The victory moves Di Francesco’s side to 21 points, while Udinese saw their two-game winning streak come to an end.

**Sassuolo 0-5 Inter
**Inter completely dominated at the Mapei Stadium with five goals from Bisseck, Thuram, Lautaro, Akanji, and Luis Henrique, the latter scoring his first goal for the Nerazzurri. This marked Inter’s eighth consecutive away victory and set an impressive record: no team in the top-five European leagues has won more matches with a clean sheet (13). Akanji and Luis Henrique scored their first goals in Serie A, bringing Inter’s number of different goal scorers this season to 16.

**Juventus 2-2 Lazio
**Sunday’s late kick-off match at the Stadio Olimpico featured another dramatic finale. Lazio began on the front foot, taking the lead through Pedro and Isaksen, scoring in the first half for the first time since December 7. Juventus responded in the second half through McKennie, who is increasingly flourishing under the new system, with the American midfielder setting his personal record for goals this season in the top five leagues (seven) and becoming the most prolific midfielder in Serie A since Spalletti’s arrival. In the 92nd minute, Kalulu rose highest to head home and secure a draw that will make a difference in the race for a spot in the Champions League. The Frenchman has now recorded five goal involvements in the league, matching his previous Serie A seasons.

**Atalanta 2-1 Cremonese
**Atalanta secured their victory in the first half with goals from Krstovic and Zappacosta. They then stayed organised and kept their composure as Thorsby scored at the last second, denying Carnesecchi a clean sheet. It was Atalanta’s fourth consecutive home win, while Krstovic reached five goals in 2026, on par with Lautaro Martínez. Thorsby scored on his debut for his new club and set a personal season record of three goals. The situation for Cremonese is worrying as the statistics reveal they have conceded seven goals in the first 15 minutes of matches, more than any other team in the league, and have only recorded three points in the last ten days.

Roma 2-0 Cagliari
Donyell Malen sent the Olimpico into a frenzy with a brace, bringing Roma back to winning ways following their setback in Udine. The Dutch forward scored his first two goals at home in Serie A and has scored three times in four appearances for the Giallorossi. Roma is now on 46 points, demonstrating that they have the league’s best defence, having only conceded 14 goals. Mancini and Çelik both secured their second assist of the season. At the same time, a historic milestone took place as Antonio Arena, born in 2009, made his Serie A debut, becoming the youngest player to feature this season.

(Photo Getty Images + LaPresse)