Twists, Turmoil & Title Dreams: Mapping Serie A Fierce Top-Four Battle | OneFootball

It shapes up to be one of the most intense top-four races in recent Serie A memory, with six points separating the top seven after 11 rounds. Last year’s runners-up Inter are leading the way, albeit goal difference alone keeps resurgent Roma in second.

Goals from Lautaro Martinez and Ange-Yoan Bonny fired the Nerazzurri to a 2-0 home win over disjointed Lazio on the eve of the international break, catapulting Cristian Chivu’s side to the top of the table. However, there’s no room for complacency, with Napoli and Milan breathing down their necks.

Wasting a two-goal cushion in a 2-2 draw at Parma left the Rossoneri two points adrift of the leading duo ahead of the break. As for Napoli, their rough patch continued with a dismal 2-0 defeat against high-flying Bologna at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara.

Meanwhile, Luciano Spalletti’s home debut didn’t go as planned, with Torino holding Juventus to a scoreless draw, condemning the record-time champions to a disappointing sixth place. They’ve only amassed one point more than seventh-placed Como, who could mount a serious top-four challenge against the odds.

With so many unpredictable twists already defining the campaign, trying to forecast how the top four will look by May feels almost as volatile as picking winners on online slots – every week delivers a new surprise. However, let’s give it a try.

Mapping the Race Ahead

Inter

Despite severing ties with Simone Inzaghi in the summer, Inter look set for another genuine Scudetto push. Chivu has exceeded expectations in the early stages of his tenure at Giuseppe Meazza, establishing the Nerazzurri as the most convincing title contenders.

With 26 goals, Inter are by far the most prolific team in Serie A this season, while they’ve also proven their credentials in the Champions League. With that in mind, securing a top-four finish is the bare minimum we expect from the 19-time champions.

Predicted finish: 1st

Milan 

With Massimiliano Allegri back at the steering wheel, Milan have quickly re-entered the Scudetto picture. Despite Allegri’s ‘hard to watch’ style, the Rossoneri have put together an impressive ten-game unbeaten league streak since a shock 2-1 home defeat to newcomers Cremonese on the opening weekend.

Milan boast an intimidating strength in depth, and with Luka Modric running the show, the San Siro giants may have finally found their leader on the field. Though it’s hard to rule them out of the title race, a top-four finish looks like a more realistic goal for the seven-time European champions.

Predicted finish: 2nd

Napoli

Antonio Conte returned to Italian football with a bang last season, guiding Napoli to their fourth Serie A title. However, the curse of ‘reigning champions’ has already taken its toll this term, with the Partenopei performing well below last year’s high standard.

Long-term injuries to star striker Romelu Lukaku and marquee signing Kevin De Bruyne have significantly derailed Napoli’s scoring potential. More ominously, Napoli have found it difficult to match the hunger and sharpness that defined their title-winning campaign.

The writing seems to be on the wall.

Predicted finish: 3rd

Roma

Whether Roma can remain on this trajectory throughout the season remains uncertain. However, they seem to have finally found a manager, other than Claudio Ranieri, capable of extracting consistent performances from a notoriously volatile squad.

Gian Piero Gasperini has enjoyed a dream start at the Stadio Olimpico, inspiring Roma to their best league start in a decade. Perhaps surprisingly, the Giallorossi have been relatively shy in front of goal.

However, Gasperini has shored up Roma’s long-term defensive issues, transforming them into one of the most formidable defensive forces in European football, let alone Serie A.