Serie A is set to return to action on June 20 with 124 games left to play. Here's a refresher to bring you up to speed with the state of play in Italy's top flight...
The title race
If you take a glance over some of Europe’s top leagues, everything looks a little predictable. Barcelona and Real Madrid are fighting for the title in Spain, Bayern Munich have a commanding league in the Bundesliga, PSG are French champions and Juventus are top of Serie A.
But when you take a closer look at the Italian standings, something’s amiss.
Juventus do lead but their advantage is just a single point. Dig even deeper and you discover the team in second are unbeaten since September and they possess one of Europe’s most prolific goalscorers. And the team in third were top just a month prior to the league’s suspension.
The European status quo is under threat – Serie A is anything but predictable this season.
Nine in a row?
Juventus are currently enjoying the most dominant spell in Italian football history. A title this season would be an unprecedented ninth Scudetto in a row. No other side has won more than five on the trot. Antonio Conte started the revolution with three successful seasons, Max Allegri continued it with five more, and now it’s up to another former Chelsea manager, Maurizio Sarri, to continue the monopoly.
Juventus are top thanks to their imperious home form this season, winning 12 of their 13 games and drawing the other. The remaining fixtures have been kind to them in that regard. Their three trickiest matches, against Lazio, fourth-placed Atalanta and fifth-placed Roma, will all be played at the Allianz Stadium. However, their rivals will be keenly noting that home advantage seems to be distinctly reduced in empty stadiums.
Eagles soaring
But Juve’s ninth successive title is under serious threat, with Lazio leading the charge. The club are hunting down only their third Serie A title and their first since Sven-Goran Eriksson’s successful side in 1999/2000. In both of their previous title-winning campaigns, which team finished second? Juventus.
Sven Goran-Eriksson led Lazio to their most recent Serie A title in 2000
Lazio, now led by Simone Inzaghi - brother of former Juventus striker Filippo - have lost only two league games all season. That can be topped only by Liverpool (one) in Europe’s elite leagues. Both of those defeats came relatively early in the season, too, with the club now on an incredible 21-game unbeaten run. Before the stoppage, they is no doubt they were the form team of the three.
Lazio manager Simone Inzaghi
Lazio have had the better of the leaders this season as well. In their home fixture in December they ran out 3-1 winners. The teams met two weeks later in the Italian Super Cup. Different venue, same result: 3-1 to Lazio. So mark your diaries for July 20, when Lazio travel to Juventus for what could be a true title showdown.
Inter’s saviour?
That game could be a massive opportunity for Inter Milan, too - if the game ends in a draw. The second weekend of February saw Inter go top of the league with an incredible comeback win over rivals AC Milan. Inter were 2-0 down at half-time but they went on to win 4-2.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was among the goals for AC Milan during the 4-2 defeat to Inter in February
The chance to extend that lead at the top followed with two huge games against both Lazio and Juve. They lost them both. Now they find themselves nine points off top, albeit with a game in hand.
The previous eight seasons of domination by Juve have been anything but for former domestic titans Inter. They didn’t breach the top three in any of those seasons and finished as low as ninth on one occasion. It was a demise that no one would have predicted in 2010, with the side winning their fifth-straight title, the Champions League and the Coppa Italia.
Inter Milan appointed former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte last summer
It seems there’s only one man to turn to when you need to wake a sleeping giant in Italian football - the man who spearheaded Juve’s revival, Antonio Conte. Inter now have a man in charge who has won as many Scudetti (five as a player, three as a manager), as his current club has in his lifetime.
The ultimate final day
Fans of Italian football could not have asked for a better final day of the season, with the current top six all in action against each other. It’s quite frankly the ending this season deserves.
Beyond the fact all three games are incredibly tricky, there’s an intriguing sub-plot. It’s conceivable the fate of Lazio’s title bid could depend on bitter rivals Roma getting a result at Juventus. The fierce rivalry between the clubs cannot be understated. What is more, it would be Lazio’s third title, drawing them level with Roma. It is truly captivating stuff.
Cup commitments
Lazio’s lack of success outside of Serie A this season could well tip the scales in their favour, with their sole focus now on the league. Both Juventus and Inter Milan are still in Europe and the Italian Cup. Juventus have to turn around a 1-0 first leg deficit to Lyon in the Champions League Round of 16, while Inter are yet to play either leg against Getafe at the same stage in the Europa League.
Inter themselves have to overcome a 1-0 deficit in the Cup to Napoli, whilst Juventus drew their first leg with AC Milan. If the two sides progress to meet in the final and both also make it to their respective finals in Europe, Juve will have an additional eight games, whilst Inter will have nine, as well as having to play their game in hand in the league. Advantage Lazio?
The teams
Juventus
Lazio
Inter
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