Serie A, Matchday 34: a fiery Monday lit up the league
Matchday 34 of Serie A suddenly burst into life at the end of a weekend that, until Sunday, had been finely balanced. After a total of thirteen goals in the first eight fixtures, Monday delivered eleven in just two matches to close the programme, with dramatic turnarounds, thrilling finales and standout individual performances. At the top, Inter slowed but continue to have the finish line in sight: the draw against Torino does little to affect their sense of control, with the title now within touching distance. The Nerazzurri need just three points from the remaining twelve available to be crowned champions.
Behind them, Napoli had opened the weekend with an emphatic display, strengthening their hold on second place. The race for Champions League spots remains wide open, with Como and Roma reigniting their ambitions after their wins, while AC Milan and Juventus cancelled each other out in their head-to-head clash. In the lower half of the table, Parma and Torino celebrated mathematical survival in front of their home fans, Cagliari moved further clear of danger and Cremonese slipped into third-from-bottom outright.
Napoli - Cremonese 4-0
Napoli’s emphatic victory over Cremonese set the tone for the round, with the match effectively decided within the opening minutes. Scott McTominay struck once again from the outset – scoring after 2 minutes and 23 seconds for his seventh goal of 2026 – confirming himself as the most prolific midfielder of the calendar year. The Partenopei accelerated before half-time with Terracciano’s own goal and a strike from Kevin De Bruyne, who reached the milestone of 100 goals across Europe’s top five leagues and rounded off his evening with his first Serie A assist. In the second half, Alisson Santos sealed the 4–0 result: three league goals, all at home, helping the former Benfica player grow momentum. For Cremonese, however, the numbers reflect their attacking struggles: goalless in 17 out of 34 league matches this season, including the last three.
Parma – Pisa 1-0
Once again, Parma relied on a moment of inspiration from Nesta Elphege to turn a balanced match against Pisa into a celebration. The French striker, increasingly the headline figure in Parma’s spring campaign, decided the match late on to secure the Ducali’s second consecutive win. The statistics underline his rise: two goals and one assist in the last three matches, and the only player under Carlos Cuesta to score at least two goals after coming off the bench. Parma also strengthened their defensive record with a second consecutive clean sheet, while Pisa continue to struggle: just two wins all season, the lowest total across Europe’s top five leagues.
Bologna-Roma 0-2
Roma rediscovered their spark away from the Olimpico in Bologna, once again relying on Donyell Malen. The Dutch forward continues to produce extraordinary numbers: 11 goals in 14 appearances, figures that place him among the most impactful January signings in Serie A history. Alongside him, Neil El Aynaoui delivered a complete performance with both a goal and an assist. The win ended Roma’s away drought, which had lasted since mid-January, while Riccardo Orsolini’s eighth woodwork strike of the season – a record in Europe’s major leagues this year – summed up a frustrating evening for Bologna.
Hellas Verona – Lecce 0-0
At the Bentegodi, the clash between Verona and Lecce remained locked right to the end. The closing moments appeared to hand victory to the hosts, but VAR disallowed Edmundsson’s stoppage-time goal, leaving the score unchanged. The goalless draw highlighted the attacking struggles of both sides: Verona have now failed to score at home in four consecutive matches, while Lecce have drawn blanks in four of their last five. Nevertheless, the point allows the Salentini to move out of the relegation zone, giving added significance to a tense but chance-scarce encounter.
Fiorentina – Sassuolo 0-0
At the Franchi, Fiorentina pushed forward and created opportunities but were unable to find a breakthrough. Sassuolo held firm to secure a 0–0 draw, largely thanks to Turati’s performance between the posts as he denied the Viola’s attempts – 22 shots in total, their second-highest tally of the season. Fiorentina extend their unbeaten run to seven matches, confirming renewed defensive solidity with three clean sheets in their last four games and only one goal conceded across their last five home fixtures. Sassuolo, meanwhile, bring to an end a run of seven consecutive matches in which they had conceded.
Genoa – Como 0-2
Como rediscovered rhythm and confidence by winning at Marassi with a composed and effective performance. Goals from Douvikas and Diao reignited Fà bregas’ side, who can dream of their Champions League ambitions again. The Greek striker moved to 12 goals, second only to Lautaro MartÃnez, and drew level with Panagiotis Kone among the highest-scoring Greek players in Serie A history (14). Como also set a new club record for away goals in the top flight (25) and confirmed their deadly efficiency in the opening stages of matches, having now scored 11 goals within the first fifteen minutes.
Inter – Torino 2-2
At the Olimpico Grande Torino, Inter came close to victory but ultimately had to settle for a point which, though ending the league leaders’ winning streak, moves them even closer to the title. The Nerazzurri started strongly through Thuram and Bisseck, but Torino responded with character after the break: Simeone pulled one back before Vlašić converted a penalty to level the match, securing a fourth consecutive positive result and, above all, mathematical survival in Serie A. An interesting note: it is the first time in over a year that Inter have failed to win after taking a two-goal lead. Chivu’s side nevertheless continue to produce outstanding numbers: 17 goals from corners, equalling Napoli’s historic 2022/23 record, and 18 assists from Federico Dimarco, a new record in the 20-team Serie A era.
Milan – Juventus 0-0
Balance also prevailed between AC Milan and Juventus in a 0–0 draw defined more by tension and caution than by spectacle, just as in the reverse fixture. For the first time in the history of the single-round Serie A format, both league meetings between the two giants in the same season have ended goalless. The Rossoneri have now failed to score against Juventus for six consecutive matches: their last goal against the Bianconeri at San Siro dates back to 2022, scored by Brahim DÃaz. Juventus extend their unbeaten run and remain the only team in the league without a defeat since March. For AC Milan, attacking struggles remain a concern – just 16 goals and the 12th-best attack in the second half of the season – while Christian Pulisic’s drought has now stretched to 16 matches without scoring.
Cagliari – Atalanta 3-2
Serie A’s Monday fixtures opened with a spectacular contest at the Unipol Domus, where Cagliari defeated Atalanta 3–2 at the end of a thrilling match. Paul Mendy needed just 16 seconds to make his mark: the 2007-born Cagliari academy player scored the second-fastest goal of the season and completed a dream brace on his first start by the eighth minute. Atalanta’s two goals from Scamacca proved only enough to level the match temporarily, before Borrelli added the decisive third for the Rossoblù. Pisacane’s side thus secured their second consecutive home victory, gaining valuable ground in the battle for survival.
Lazio – Udinese 3-3
The round concluded with a spectacular 3–3 draw between Lazio and Udinese on Monday night, a match that exploded into life in the closing moments. After a series of dramatic swings, Atta scored his first Serie A brace to give Udinese the lead in the 93rd minute, but two minutes later Daniel Maldini restored parity at the death. The Olimpico witnessed a thrilling finale that highlighted Lazio’s ability to react and confirmed the impact of substitutes, with Pedro once again proving the most decisive player off the bench (with 17 goals) since arriving in 2020/21. Udinese, meanwhile, extended their unbeaten away run to four matches.
