If you missed the final matchday of Italy’s Serie A, shame on you. Unlike other leagues, Serie A does not coordinate to kickoff all matches at the same day and time. This allows for some drama, and nobody does drama like the Italians.

Can I Get a Trophy, Please?

It all kicked off on Friday night when the two league leaders, Napoli and Inter Milan, were set to face off against Cagliari and Como respectively. With a one point edge, Napoli just needed a win. Inter would need a win and some help from the Sicilians. Inter did their part with a crisp 2 – 0 dismantling of Como, a task made easy by the 45th minute sending off of keeper Pepe Reina. Reina was playing his final game before retirement; not the fairy tale ending he expected.

Cagliari put up a good fight, but didn’t have enough to prevent Scott McTominay and Romelu Lukaku from hitting beautiful goals. McTominay’s in particular was special, a floating scissor volley that sealed his position as the league’s MVP. Naples exploded with pyrotechnics as the locals celebrated the club’s second Scudetto in three years. For a team that finished tenth last season, and lost two superstar players (Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia), Napoli were long-shots to lift the trophy.

Saturday Siesta

After all that excitement of Friday, it’s fitting that Saturday’s games featured three mid-table sides with nothing to play for (AC Milan, Bologna, Genoa) and Monza, who had been relegated weeks before. AC Milan got their win 2 – 0, and Genoa’s 3 – 1 victory over Bologna couldn’t dampen the spirits of I Rossoblù’s home supporters who were still celebrating their Cup win from the week before.

Sunday Sunday Sunday

Ooh, this was special. Six matches were teed up, and each one of them had implications either for European qualification or relegation. The pundits over on the Golazo! Network even had a spreadsheet with over 125+ rows outlining all the possible permutations that could arise from the outcomes. There was even a (very slim) possibility that Champions League qualification could be determined by a coin toss. Wild.

There was far too much happening to provide a written summary, but Golazo’s multi-game viewing experience was the perfect way to enjoy it. In real time you could catch all the goals and see the league tables update before your eyes. A delicious blend of chaos and magic. In the end, here’s how the fixtures turned out:

• Atalanta 2 – 3 Parma
  • Lowly Parma overcame a two-goal deficit to shock Atalanta and secure their spot in Serie A next season. They finished 16th.
  • Atalanta had already secured a Champions League spot by finishing third.
• Empoli 1 – 2  Hellas Verona
  • Both teams were in relegation trouble heading into this one. But with the loss, Empoil will be moving down into Serie B. Verona will stay up after finishing 14th.
• Torino 0 – 2 AS Roma
  • All Roma needed was a win to get Europe. But they would need help to get Champions League, which didn’t happen. It’s Europa League for them.
• Venezia 2 – 3 Juventus
  • Venezia didn’t drop to Serie B without a fight. They scared Juventus and kept battling right til the end.
  • With the win, Juve punched the CL ticket for next season.
• Udinese 2 – 3 Fiorentina
  • Fiorentina were a long-shot to make Champions League, but a win would (hopefully) get them something. In a ferocious battle with Udinese, the purple would prevail. Imagine their shock to see that Lazio lost, thereby giving them the final Europe spot: a Conference League seat.
• Lazio 0 – 1 Lecce
  • It was pretty simple:
    • If Lazio won, they’d qualify for something in Europe.
    • If Lecce lost, they could be relegated.
  • After scoring late in the first half, Lecce went down to nine men right before the whistle. They managed to hold off Lazio for the entire second half. That is a gritty way to stay up.
  • In 90 minutes, Lazio went from Europe to nothing. Ouch.

Yes, all six away teams won. Honestly, this is how a season SHOULD end. Fair play to Italy, who really do know how to put on a show.