The 2023/24 Italian Serie A season was full of excitement and memorable matches. Inter Milan were crowned champions after defeating AC Milan 2-1 at the San Siro at the end of April. The victory over their fierce local rivals secured the Nerazzurri their 20th Scudetto weeks before the end of the campaign.
AC Milan, Juventus, Atalanta, and Bologna hold the other places for the next edition of the Champions League behind the Serie A champions. After UEFA changed the qualification regulations, Italy’s Serie A earned the right to have five places in the next edition of the maximum European competition.Â
AC Milan finished second in the standings. It was a close battle for them, edging out Juventus by just four points. Atalanta continued their impressive run under Gian Piero Gasperini by finishing fourth. They held off a challenge from Roma to qualify for Europe for the second consecutive season.
The humble Bologna was the surprise package, sealing the fifth and final Champions League berth for Italy. Their entertaining brand of attacking soccer under Thiago Motta earned them a historic qualification.
Roma qualifies for Europa League
AS Roma got the Europa League spot by finishing sixth in the Serie A. It was a close battle between Roma, Bologna, and Atalanta for the final Champions League spots, but sadly for la Lupa, their season close was terrible.
Lazio secured seventh place, qualifying for the UEFA Conference League next season. It was a close battle with Fiorentina for that final European spot, but they were able to overcome them in the end.Â
The Biancocelesti have had a bit of a disappointing season overall, with inconsistent performances leading them to a seventh-place finish. That is a massive step down from last season, where they finished second.
Napoli: from champion to disappointment
Defending Serie A champions Napoli had a hugely disappointing season, finishing in tenth place after winning the title in 2022/23. It was a dramatic fall from grace for the Neapolitan side, who went from the high of being crowned champions to not even qualifying for Europe next season.
After losing Kim Min-Jae and Spaletti, the Partenopei struggled to maintain the same level of performance and consistency under the new coaches (they had three this season). Their talismanic striker Victor Osimhen struggled with injuries and lack of form, while the absence of a leader in defense was a great hit.
As the season progressed, Napoli slipped further and further away from the top spots while their rivals grew stronger. Heavy defeats to Inter Milan, Atalanta, and Lazio highlighted their struggles. In the end, they finished 41 points behind champions Inter, their lowest position since 2009.
Serie A Matchday 38 Roundup:Â Genoa vs. Bologna
When and Where?
Friday, May 24, 2:45 pm ET at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium
Moneyline odds:Â
Genoa 3.57Â
Bologna 2.23
Draw Offs:Â
3.43
Where can I watch it?Â
Paramount+Â
Bologna tried to complete their extraordinary season with a victory in this final matchday, but theywere unable to contain a strong Genoa and lost 0-2.
The match was open from start to finish, but Bologna controlled the game and the ball, as they had 74% of possession. However, their strikers were not sharp and only had one shot on goal.
Genoa certainly took advantage of this, especially after Ruslan Malinovskyi’s early goal in the 13th minute. From this point on, the locals closed down in defense, preventing and repelling every attack.
Finally, in the 59th minute, VÃtor Oliveira made it 2-0 and sealed the deal.
Result: Genoa (2) – (0) BolognaÂ
Serie A Matchday 38 Roundup: Juventus vs. Monza
When and Where?
Saturday, May 25, 12 pm ET at the Juventus Stadium
Moneyline odds:Â
Juventus 1.36Â
Monza 9.55
Draw Offs:
5.64
Where can I watch it?Â
Paramount+Â
Juventus delivered in their season-closing match against Monza and earned an excellent win with a 2-0 score at home.
This match was a spectacular give-and-take during the 90 minutes, as both teams had clear chances to score on many occasions. However, the Vecchia Signora needed only two minutes to seal the game and thus have a quiet end to the season and the match.
After several attacks from both sides, Juve opened the scoring in the 26th minute thanks to Federico Chiesa’s goal. This put Monza off their stride, and in the 28th minute, Alex Sandro scored his team’s second goal to take them to victory.
Result: Juventus (2) – (0) Monza
Serie A Matchday 38 Roundup:Â Empoli vs. Roma
When and Where?
Sunday, May 26, 2:45 pm ET at the Carlo Castellani Stadium
Moneyline odds:Â
Empoli 2.08Â
Roma 3.7
Draw Offs:Â
3.77
Where can I watch it?Â
Paramount+Â
One of the surprises of this last matchday was Empoli’s 2-1 victory over Roma. This victory not only left the capital team with a sour taste but also gave Empoli their stay in Serie A for next season, as they finished 17th in the table and one point above Frosinone in the relegation zone.
This match was intense, but with Roma dominating from start to finish. However, Empoli managed to take the lead in the 13th minute, thanks to Matteo Cancellieri’s goal. Then, before the break, the Italian capital side equalized with Houssem Aouar’s goal in the 45+1 minute.
Finally, when we all thought the match would end 1-1 and that Empoli was destined for Serie B, M’Baye Niang scored the definitive 2-1 to give the home side the victory and permanence.
Result: Empoli (2) – (1) Roma
Serie A Matchday 38 Roundup: Verona vs. Inter
When and Where?
Sunday, May 26, 2:45 pm ET at the Marcantonio Bentegodi Stadium
Moneyline odds:Â
Verona 5.79Â
Inter 1.6
Draw Offs:Â
4.55
Where can I watch it?Â
Paramount+Â
In the end, with nothing to play for on either side, Inter Milan and Hellas Verona drew 2-2 to end the season with a share of the spoils.
The match was a give-and-take affair throughout, with Inter playing very relaxed and Hellas Verona taking advantage to hurt the Serie A champions. Marko Arnautovic scored the 1-0 for Inter in the 10th minute, but the joy was short-lived, as Verona equalized six minutes later thanks to Tijjani Noslin’s goal.
Then, after several unsuccessful attacks, Hellas Verona came dangerously close to Inter’s area again and scored the 2-1 in the 37th minute through Tomas Suslov. However, before the break, Arnautovic scored his second goal of the night to put the game to bed.
Result: Verona (2) – (2) InterÂ
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