Battle for Champions League spots still on after Matchday 36
With just two games to go, the battle for the Champions League has completely shifted. Matchday 36 brought drama, late comebacks, and thrills from start to finish. Milan missed another opportunity, Napoli were defeated at the Maradona, and five teams are separated by just five points. It became a tight race, capped by a dramatic round of fixtures featuring three consecutive 3-2 scorelines in key matches in the race for a European spot.
Roma continued their winning streak thanks to an unstoppable Donyell Malen, while Como wrote a monumental chapter in their history by securing a spot in Europe for the first time. At the other end of the table, Cremonese kept their survival hopes alive with a crucial win over Pisa, now with just a point to separate them from Lecce as the relegation battle heads into a tightly-contested finish.
Torino came from behind to beat Sassuolo with the support of their fans at home. After Thorstvedt put the visitors ahead, Simeone quickly levelled before Marcus Pedersen came off the bench to score the decisive goal, his first in Serie A. D’Aversa’s side reinforced their great form at home as they have recorded five wins in their last seven. On the other hand, Sassuolo have now gone five games on the road without a victory.
Udinese put on an impressive performance away against Cagliari, winning 2-0 thanks to goals from Buksa and a late strike from Gueye, his first in Serie A. Cagliari registered 22 attempts on goal but could not make them count, ultimately postponing their survival celebrations.
At the Olimpico, Inter laid down a clear marker ahead of the Coppa Italia final with a dominant 3-0 win over Lazio. Lautaro Martínez opened the scoring for the tenth time this season, Sučić scored his first away goal, and Mkhitaryan closed out the game by scoring in consecutive league games for the first time as a Nerazzurro.
Juventus opened the scoring almost immediately against Lecce, with Vlahović scoring after just twelve seconds, the fastest goal in the club’s Serie A history in the three-points era. The Bianconeri dominated the match, despite two strikes from Vlahović and Kalulu being disallowed, and secured three vital points in the race for Champions League qualification. For Spalletti’s side, this match extended their excellent form, as they have recorded 22 points from their last ten matches, the best record in the league over that period. Cambiaso is also improving, matching his personal best for assists in a season (four) with Juventus.
Como made history by defeating Verona thanks to Douvikas, earning their first-ever qualification to European football. The Greek striker was once again decisive from inside the box and has moved up to 13 goals, all from inside the box; only Lautaro Martínez has scored more in the league. Fabregas’ project continues to impress with its quality and consistency, completing its transformation from an Italian fairytale into a European reality.
Fiorentina secured survival in a goalless draw against Genoa. It wasn’t a thrilling encounter, but the Viola maintained their strong home form, going unbeaten in seven games at the Franchi and conceding just one goal in six matches. However, they have been held to many draws, recording eight already this year, while this marked Genoa’s second consecutive 0-0 draw away from home.
Cremonese displayed one of their strongest performances of the season as they comfortably beat Pisa without letting the visitors register a single shot on target. Jamie Vardy scored for the first time in four months, Bonazzoli continued his fine form, and Okereke sealed the game with the third. Giampaolo’s side finally returned to winning ways at home, a result they had not achieved since December, and, more importantly, moved back to within just one point of Lecce ahead of the final stretch of the season.
One of the most dramatic encounters took place at the Tardini, where Roma beat Parma 3-2 in stoppage time. After Malen’s opener, Parma got back on level terms and even took the lead through Strefezza and Keita, but Roma struck again with Rensch equalising in the 94th minute before Malen converted a 98th-minute penalty. The Dutch forward continued his incredible run, becoming the most prolific January signing in Serie A history and matching Harry Kane’s scoring record across Europe since his debut. Roma secured their third consecutive victory and head into the final 180 minutes as real contenders in the race for Champions League qualification.
At San Siro, Atalanta made their mark with a 3-2 victory over Milan. Éderson and Zappacosta gave them an early advantage, Raspadori scored a third, and despite Milan’s late effort with goals from Pavlović and Nkunku, the result was sealed. Milan’s struggles continued as this was their third defeat in their last five games. For Palladino’s side, it was a huge win that came from intensity and clinical finishing. Éderson stood out with both a goal and an assist, while the Rossoneri once again proved vulnerable early in the game, conceding inside the opening ten minutes for the second match in a row.
And in another dramatic finish for the matchday, Bologna pulled off a spectacular win at the Maradona. Napoli had fought back from two goals down, but Jonathan Rowe scored a sensational late winner to seal a 3-2 victory. Napoli’s defeat completely reopens the race for second place and puts an end to Napoli’s hopes of sealing Champions League qualification early on. For Italiano, it’s a historic achievement: Bologna have beaten the Partenopei in both league meetings in a single season for the first time since 2001/02. Alisson Santos, meanwhile, continues to thrive at the Maradona for Napoli, while Rowe moves up to three goals, equalling his best seasonal tally from his time at Marseille, and keeping Bologna’s hopes for Conference League qualification alive.