Thrilling verdicts and emotional farewells on Matchday 38
A night that felt like an entire season. Matchday 38 of Serie A Enilive delivered the final verdicts, packed with strong emotions, constant twists, and farewells destined to remain in the memories of those involved. Roma and Como took the limelight by securing historic qualification to next season’s UEFA Champions League: the Giallorossi return to Europe’s top competition after seven years, while Como achieved an incredible milestone, reaching the top level of Europe without ever having previously played in a UEFA tournament. A feat only achieved in the modern era by Girona and Brest.
On the other end of the spectrum, Milan and Juventus’ failure to qualify for the Champions League proved shocking, something that had never happened in the modern era of the competition since 1992/93. At the bottom, Lecce managed to stay up, securing a fifth consecutive season in Serie A, while Cremonese bid farewell to the top flight just one year after their return. The matchday also featured several emotional goodbyes: from the standing ovation at the Maradona for Antonio Conte, to Stephan El Shaarawy’s heartfelt farewell to Roma, and Pedro signing off on his time with Lazio with one final trademark goal.
Fiorentina-Atalanta 1-1
In what could have been Raffaele Palladino’s final match on the Atalanta touchline, it ended in a draw at the Franchi. Fiorentina took the lead thanks to Roberto Piccoli, who scored his first home goal for the Viola, but in the second half, an own goal by Comuzzo got Atalanta back on level terms. It was an intense game with no possibility ruled out until the final whistle. Atalanta took over 20 shots but failed to find a winner. Fiorentina recorded their third consecutive home draw, while their own-goal statistics continue to be a point of concern: only Verona, with four, have conceded more than Fiorentina’s two own-goals in this league campaign.
Bologna-Inter 3-3
The Dall’Ara closed out the season with one of the most thrilling games of Bologna’s campaign. Bologna and Inter clashed in an end-to-end match that ended 3–3; despite there being no pressure in the standings, the match was a true goalfest full of quality play. Inter started out promisingly, scoring through Federico Dimarco’s curling free-kick, before Bologna turned the game around, and then the Nerazzurri fought back through Francesco Pio Esposito and Diouf.
Inter ended their league campaign with 89 goals, the same number as in their previous two Scudetto-winning campaigns. Dimarco caps off a sensational season: with 24 goal contributions (seven goals and 17 assists), he becomes the most productive defender across Europe’s top five leagues in the last twenty seasons. Francesco Pio Esposito was also impactful, scoring his seventh goal of the season; only Balotelli and Martins had done better for Inter before the age of 21 in the three-points-per-win era. While Bologna were likely disappointed after an inconsistent home campaign, with just six wins at the Dall’Ara.
Lazio-Pisa 2-1
Pedro bid farewell to Lazio in the best possible way, scoring the decider. Following his announcement to leave the Biancocelesti, the Spaniard scored the goal that completed the comeback against Pisa and secured Lazio’s final win of the season. Pisa had taken the lead through Moreo before Lazio responded with Dele-Bashiru, who equalised. Pedro hit the milestone of 100 victories for Lazio and ended his Biancocelesti career with five goals this season, all scored in 2026. A striking statistic for Lazio’s attack: 15 different scorers in the league, but none reaching double figures. Pisa ended their season on fewer than 20 points, becoming the fourth team in four seasons to finish so low. Lazio also recorded a negative statistic: their ninth-place finish is their worst final league position since 2013/14.
Parma-Sassuolo 1-0
The Emilian derby was won by Parma, who ended the season in front of their home fans with a narrow 1–0 win over Sassuolo thanks to Mateo Pellegrino. Once again, the Argentine striker’s aerial skills proved decisive, as he headed home the winner to give Cuesta a final home victory of the season at the Tardini.
Pellegrino also left his mark on the Club’s recent history with six headed goals, becoming the first Parma player since 2004/05 to score more than five headers in a single Serie A season. It is worth noting that 67% of his top-flight goals (eight out of twelve) were headers, a record among forwards with at least ten goals since the stat has been tracked. Despite a difficult attacking season overall, with just 28 goals scored, the worst tally in their Serie A history, Cuesta’s Parma finished on a positive note. On the other hand, Grosso could not prevent Sassuolo from suffering a third straight defeat.
Napoli-Udinese 1-0
The Maradona hosted an emotional night filled with applause and melancholy. On the day the Club bid farewell to Antonio Conte, Napoli beat Udinese thanks to a decisive goal from Rasmus Højlund, beautifully set up by a through ball from Kevin De Bruyne. One goal was enough for the Partenopei to secure second place and end a strong season in front of their fans.
Højlund reached 16 goals across all competitions, matching his best European season tally. While De Bruyne continued to make history by providing his 156th assist in Europe’s top five leagues since 2012/13, no one had done better, not even Lionel Messi. Conte bowed out after a unique season: for the first time, he finished a full Serie A campaign with fewer than 80 points, while remaining the coach with the most 1–0 wins in Europe’s top leagues since arriving in Naples two seasons ago. Their opponent, Udinese, finished in tenth place, their best final league position since 2012/13.
Lecce 1–0 Genoa
All Lecce needed was five minutes to change their fate. Lameck Banda scored the winning goal against Genoa that secured survival and a fifth consecutive season in Serie A, sending the Via del Mare into a frenzy. This consecutive survival record is a first in the Club’s history. The night brought relief and emotion to the entire Lecce camp, especially Eusebio Di Francesco, who finally ended his run of final-day relegations.
Banda proved to be Lecce’s standout performer this season with nine goal contributions (goals + assists). Lecce secured safety in their strongest form of the season, with three wins in the last four matches, including back-to-back victories. Genoa, meanwhile, ended the season without a win in their last five games.
Milan-Cagliari 1-2
San Siro moved from hope to shock. Milan took the lead through Saelemaekers, but were beaten by Borrelli and Juan Rodríguez, missing out on Champions League qualification and settling for the Europa League. It was a bitter ending for the Rossoneri after a sharp decline in the final stretch.
The numbers tell the story: just one point in their last four home matches and only ten points recorded since their derby win (matchday 28), the same tally as relegated Cremonese. Only Pisa and Verona have a worse record. Cagliari’s victory at San Siro against Milan marks their first time in nearly 30 years, and it’s a result of Borrelli’s strike and the first Serie A goal of 2005-born Uruguayan Juan Rodríguez.
Cremonese-Como 1-4
Como delivered a fantastic performance at the Zini with a dominant victory over Cremonese and secured the first-ever Champions League qualification in their history, a season that will go down in Italian football history. Fabregas’ side controlled the match with skill, personality, and talent, winning once again thanks to goals from Rodriguez, Douvikas, and a brace from Da Cunha.
Douvikas scored in his third consecutive away match, while Da Cunha recorded the first brace of his career. Jesús Rodríguez also continued to show promise by becoming the youngest player in Serie A with at least ten goal contributions. On the other end of the table, Cremonese were relegated after just one season back in the top flight, with the defeat to Como sealing their fate.
Verona-Roma 0-2
Roma returned to the Champions League, sealing qualification with a spectacular win at the Bentegodi. Donyell Malen and Stephan El Shaarawy sealed the game in a deeply emotional and memorable night. The Dutchman continued his spectacular run with Roma, while El Shaarawy scored the last goal in his Roma career, assisted by a beautiful Dybala backheel.
Gasperini’s side ended the season on a high with five consecutive wins, climbing above 70 points for the first time since 2017/18, which was also their last Champions League campaign. Malen reached 14 goals in just 18 appearances, elite-level numbers. For Verona, the match ended a disastrous run as they failed to score in six consecutive home matches.
Torino-Juventus 2-2
The Derby della Mole ended Juventus’ season with another disappointment. The Bianconeri seemed in control thanks to a brace from Dusan Vlahovic, but Torino fought back through Casadei and Che Adams. The draw confirmed that Spalletti’s Juventus would miss out on the Champions League.
Torino were unbeaten in both derbies this season for the first time since 2001/02, highlighting the solidity built by Roberto D’Aversa at home: six unbeaten matches since his arrival. Individually, Vlahovic closed out the season well, scoring four goals in May alone, more than any other player in the league during that period. For Spalletti, it was a painful ending: he had not finished outside the top four since 2008/09 with Roma.