Napoli could wrap up the last major European league title still to be decided on Friday, if they defeat Cagliari in the final game of the season.
Champions League finalists and defending Serie A champions Inter Milan are just a point behind the league leaders, however, so any slip-up could see a dramatic finale to the Italian season – including a playoff between the top two.
The league leaders’ equation is quite straightforward – beat Cagliari and the Serie A title is heading to Naples once again.
A draw would not be enough, however, if Inter Milan win at Como.
For Inter, who will face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on May 31, a draw would be enough to set up a playoff with Napoli for the title.
The Serie A rules dictate that the team with the better head-to-head between the top two will stage the tie. If that scenario is not decisive, the team with the superior goal difference will play host.
Both league encounters ended in 1-1 draws this season. Inter’s goal difference is 12 better than Napoli’s, so the former would host the match at their San Siro Stadium.
Napoli and Inter’s matches have been scheduled for Friday to give Inter adequate time to prepare for the Champions League final, even in the unlikely event that the two teams finish level on points and leave the title to be decided by a playoff on Monday.
The threat of a playoff has complicated the season finale, in particular for Inter, whose showdown with Paris Saint-Germain in Munich is now the priority with their league title defence as good as over.
An eventual playoff had originally been scheduled for next week, but that is now untenable for Inter and for Serie A, a league which hasn’t had a European champion since Jose Mourinho guided the Milan-based giants to the treble 15 years ago.
The league had earmarked Thursday as the new date for Napoli and Inter’s matches so that a playoff could be scheduled for the weekend, but Napoli and broadcaster DAZN were reportedly against the idea, and that led to the choice of Friday for their final league matches and Monday for any playoff.
Inter have the harder task on Friday as Como have taken 20 points from their last eight fixtures and are on course to finish 10th, their highest placing since ninth – albeit in a 16-team league – in 1986.
Cagliari, who are 14th in the table, have only won nine of their 37 matches this season but are comfortably five points clear of the relegation zone heading into the final round.
