The Serie A title is heading to Milan for a second successive season. Whether the ribbons will be red or blue will only be determined in the season finale.
AC Milan and city rivals Inter are both in with a chance of being crowned winners of Serie A as the season comes to a close next weekend and, for the first time since 2010, the Scudetto will be decided on the final day of the campaign. One way or another, history is certain to repeat itself in the Italian top-flight.
𝟭. 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻 (𝟴𝟯 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀)
— LiveScore (@livescore) May 15, 2022
𝟮. 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 (𝟴𝟭 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀)
The Serie A title will be decided on the final day 👀🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/qoFYuFfElZ
AC are two points clear of Inter with one game remaining, meaning the blue half of Milano need maximum points from their final outing at home to Sampdoria on Sunday if they are to have any chance of capturing a sought-after 20th league title.
Anything less than a victory for Inter will hand their bitter rivals a first league coup in 11 years, regardless of the final result between Milan and Sassuolo. A draw for AC and an Inter win would see both teams finish on 84 points but the latter would take the cake with a superior goal difference. Inter have scored 15 goals more than AC, and have also conceded one goal extra.
Last season Inter won its first league in a decade as Antonio Conte guided the Nerazzurri to a 19th league crown and they subsequently surpassed AC in the all-time hall of champions in Italy. Now, the holders aim to secure back-to-back Scudetto titles for the first time since 2010 when they completed a fifth consecutive championship. Prior to 2005/06 Inter went 15 years without finishing atop the league, and from 2012-2020 neither AC nor Inter claimed Serie A bragging rights as Juventus won nine straight titles.
AC Milan boasts 18 league successes to its illustrious name however they have remained on that tally since 2011 when the red half of the city last tasted league success under Massimiliano Allegri. The Rossoneri has not endured as barren a title drought for more than four decades and, despite being capable of winning the league with a draw in their final task of the season, needless to say Stefano Pioli’s troops will be on the prowl for all three points when they pay a visit to Sassuolo on Sunday.
AC Milan are ONE game away from their first Serie A title in 11 years 🏆 pic.twitter.com/V7sCd0nfXV
— GOAL (@goal) May 15, 2022
Inter recently bagged the Coppa Italia for an eighth time as Simone Inzaghi’s side came from behind to beat 14-time cup winners Juventus, 4-2, in extra-time at the Stadio Olimpico. This was a first Coppa Italia for Inter since 2011, the same year AC were last crowned league champions. Talk about an indicative omen…
Inter have firmly applied the pressure on their neighbours having won seven of their last eight league games. AC, meanwhile, are unbeaten across an impressive 15-match run in the league featuring ten wins, five draws and ten clean sheets. Pioli’s men won all of their last five league meetings which saw crucial victories over top-half teams Lazio, Fiorentina, Hellas Verona and Atalanta.
Lautaro Martínez has been the primary source of goals for Inter and the Argentine forward has netted 21 goals, the third-highest in the league this campaign, with 18 of those coming from 27 starts in addition to three strikes off the bench. Edin Džeko has scored 13 league goals whilst Rafael Leão is AC Milan’s top scorer in Serie A with 11 goals.
Hakan Çalhanoglu and Nicolò Barella have registered 11 assists apiece for Inter, and the pair of Leão and Theo Hernandez each have six assists to their names. AC goalkeeper Mike Maignan has kept 16 clean sheets, two more than Samir Handanovič of Inter and Roma’s Rui Patrício, despite missing six league matches with a wrist injury. The French international goalie has his name inscribed on the Serie A Golden Glove in his first season after completing a €15m move to Milan, replacing the towering figure that is Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Milan keeper Mike Maignan is set to win Serie A Golden Glove with 16 clean sheets in 31 games, despite missing nearly two months through injury.
— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 16, 2022
Stepping up after Gianluigi Donnarumma’s departure 🧤 pic.twitter.com/yfewQa9WOY
AC Milan’s fate is in their own hands. Standing between the Rossoneri and an elusive Scudetto title is a Sassuolo outfit who have one win in their last five and have won as many league games as they have lost this season (13). In context, both Milano clubs have lost four apiece in the league this term.
Regardless of the final standings, both AC and Inter will take part in next season’s UEFA Champions League together with Napoli and Juventus.
