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HEAD-TO-HEAD BATTLES IN THE RACE FOR THE SCUDETTO

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&lt;p&gt;Napoli and Inter are locked in a duel and heading towards a very tense finale: the final four games will decide who will earn the right to wear the Scudetto on their chest. Such a tight race hasn’t been seen in the last two seasons, with Luciano Spalletti’s Napoli and Simone Inzaghi’s Inter able to dominate the league, creating an unbridgeable gap over their rivals. We have to go back to the 2021/22 season to find such a tight season, the fight between AC Milan and Inter. However, the history of the Serie is filled with legendary seasons, made immortal by the tension of head-to-head battles which ended with tight finishes. Let’s take a look back at some of the most unforgettable seasons.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The first Scudetto of the Berlusconi Era - 1987/88&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ottavio Bianchi’s &lt;strong&gt;Napoli&lt;/strong&gt;, the reigning champions, entered the Spring of &lt;strong&gt;1988&lt;/strong&gt; in full-flight, with a four point advantage above AC Milan, in the era of two points per win. Powered and led by the goals of the attacking trio of Maradona, Careca and Giordano, the Partenopei seemed destined to defend their title, but something happened at the most crucial part of the season. The Azzurri, who had only lost twice in 25 matches, fell apart in the run-in: in the final five matches, they recorded four defeats and picked up just &lt;strong&gt;one point out of a possible ten&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sacchi’s AC Milan side,&lt;/strong&gt; after a turbulent first half of the season, got back on track thanks to the return of &lt;strong&gt;Van Basten,&lt;/strong&gt; and made the most of Napoli’s collapse to close the gap at the top of the table. The turning point came on 1 May at &lt;strong&gt;San Paolo&lt;/strong&gt;: in one of the most iconic direct clashes in the Serie A, the Rossoneri won 3-2 thanks to &lt;strong&gt;Virdis’&lt;/strong&gt; brace and a strike from Van Basten, enabling them to &lt;strong&gt;overtake&lt;/strong&gt;. At that point, two draws against Juventus and Como were enough to seal the Rossoneri’s return to the &lt;strong&gt;top of Italian Football&lt;/strong&gt;, after nine years of waiting, and to inaugurate the Berlusconi era at AC Milan with a Scudetto.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;figure data-asset-id=&#34;4b2c7f78-7b33-4f5e-877d-65a2650312db&#34; data-image-id=&#34;4b2c7f78-7b33-4f5e-877d-65a2650312db&#34;&gt;&lt;img src=&#34;https://assets-eu-01.kc-usercontent.com:443/6be6dbcf-fd70-012d-ec80-2d3245f5ce6a/fa3029f1-ae92-4be1-bbbf-9770b802e01a/Sito_HERO_sacchi.png&#34; data-asset-id=&#34;4b2c7f78-7b33-4f5e-877d-65a2650312db&#34; data-image-id=&#34;4b2c7f78-7b33-4f5e-877d-65a2650312db&#34; alt=&#34;&#34;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Napoli’s revenge - 1989/90 &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;Two years later, it was a two horse race again. Napoli and AC Milan locked horns in a &lt;strong&gt;spectacular battle&lt;/strong&gt; for the league title. The battle was lit up by the brilliance of players like Maradona, Van Basten and Roberto Baggio. &lt;strong&gt;Napoli&lt;/strong&gt; started well and were crowned the Winter Champions, but they hit a slump which allowed &lt;strong&gt;AC Milan &lt;/strong&gt;to top the table. Baresi and his teammates seemed in total control in March, as they were able to manage their advantage with experience enabled by Sacchi’s management. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;Once again, there was no shortage of drama. The Partenopei bounced back at the start of April with a number of wins which enabled them to draw level in the league. The decisive moment came in the &lt;strong&gt;second to last game&lt;/strong&gt;, when &lt;strong&gt;Albertino Bigon’s&lt;/strong&gt; Azzurri won against &lt;strong&gt;Bologna&lt;/strong&gt;, whilst AC Milan suffered a fatal &lt;strong&gt;defeat against Verona&lt;/strong&gt;. It was a painful case of déjà-vu for the Rossoneri fans, who experienced a fatal loss to Verona in 1973. In the final game of the season, in front of a packed San Paolo, Napoli needed a win against &lt;strong&gt;Lazio&lt;/strong&gt; to be crowned champions: it was Marco Baroni, the current Lazio Coach, who scored the goal to make the city erupt, earning Napoli’s &lt;strong&gt;second ever Scudetto&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;figure data-asset-id=&#34;1d41ea07-ebb2-462c-b45f-71cae3051d52&#34; data-image-id=&#34;1d41ea07-ebb2-462c-b45f-71cae3051d52&#34;&gt;&lt;img src=&#34;https://assets-eu-01.kc-usercontent.com:443/6be6dbcf-fd70-012d-ec80-2d3245f5ce6a/8c5d67df-1a61-46db-a2f3-d6212a846402/Sito_HERO_napoli_90.png&#34; data-asset-id=&#34;1d41ea07-ebb2-462c-b45f-71cae3051d52&#34; data-image-id=&#34;1d41ea07-ebb2-462c-b45f-71cae3051d52&#34; alt=&#34;&#34;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Zaccheroni’s comeback - 1998/1999&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;To find such a fiercely contested title race, we need to jump ahead about a decade to the 1998/99 season, which was marked by a very fast start from Fiorentina and Juventus, and then the comeback by Roma and Parma. By the end of the first half of the season two teams emerged, &lt;strong&gt;Sven-Göran Eriksson&lt;/strong&gt;’s Lazio climbed up the table thanks to nine consecutive wins and &lt;strong&gt;Zaccheroni’s AC Milan&lt;/strong&gt; who were captained by Bierhoff. The Biancocelesti, led in attack by &lt;strong&gt;Salas and Vieri&lt;/strong&gt;, made the most of the stumbles of their rival to make their way to the top, with only the Rossoneri (who were seven points behind) being able to keep up. Nesta and his teammates suffered too many slip-ups, allowing AC Milan to close the gap. &lt;br&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;figure data-asset-id=&#34;5310acbc-6088-47df-8f1e-87f116e30f1a&#34; data-image-id=&#34;5310acbc-6088-47df-8f1e-87f116e30f1a&#34;&gt;&lt;img src=&#34;https://assets-eu-01.kc-usercontent.com:443/6be6dbcf-fd70-012d-ec80-2d3245f5ce6a/009153e3-b786-4b64-8d8c-f20f0174029f/Sito_HERO_zaccheroni.png&#34; data-asset-id=&#34;5310acbc-6088-47df-8f1e-87f116e30f1a&#34; data-image-id=&#34;5310acbc-6088-47df-8f1e-87f116e30f1a&#34; alt=&#34;&#34;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;p&gt;The leaders felt the Rossoneri breathing down their neck and began to fall out. AC Milan, however, didn’t falter and &lt;strong&gt;won their last seven matches.&lt;/strong&gt; On the penultimate matchday, Lazio were held to a draw in Florence and Zaccheroni’s men beat Empoli. &lt;strong&gt;The finale&lt;/strong&gt; was played out in &lt;strong&gt;Perugia&lt;/strong&gt;, where AC Milan needed to win. At the Curi, Zaccheroni’s side completed their comeback thanks to goals from &lt;strong&gt;Guglielminpietro &lt;/strong&gt;and Bierhoff, as well as an iconic save from &lt;strong&gt;Abbiati&lt;/strong&gt; to deny Rapajć, securing the &lt;strong&gt;16th Scudetto&lt;/strong&gt;, in the same year that the club&lt;strong&gt; celebrated their centenary&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The title goes through Perugia once again - 1999/2000&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;The 1999/2000 Serie A season was one of the most hard-fought battles ever. Juventus, Lazio, Inter, Roma and AC Milan battled for months, but with some great form at the start of the second half of the season, Carlo &lt;strong&gt;Ancelotti’s&lt;/strong&gt; Bianconeri pulled away, moving nine points ahead of &lt;strong&gt;Eriksson’s&lt;/strong&gt; Lazio side. It seemed finished, but at that time, Serie A was a minefield. Two consecutive defeats, against AC Milan and in a direct clash against &lt;strong&gt;Lazio&lt;/strong&gt; at the Delle Alpi - decided by a goal from &lt;strong&gt;Simeone&lt;/strong&gt;.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;figure data-asset-id=&#34;6a3dde05-3ca2-4e8a-aefb-fe8694c49ec1&#34; data-image-id=&#34;6a3dde05-3ca2-4e8a-aefb-fe8694c49ec1&#34;&gt;&lt;img src=&#34;https://assets-eu-01.kc-usercontent.com:443/6be6dbcf-fd70-012d-ec80-2d3245f5ce6a/283bf89a-31da-4c58-9c6f-5fd3712cba1a/Sito_HERO_lazio_2000.jpg&#34; data-asset-id=&#34;6a3dde05-3ca2-4e8a-aefb-fe8694c49ec1&#34; data-image-id=&#34;6a3dde05-3ca2-4e8a-aefb-fe8694c49ec1&#34; alt=&#34;&#34;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;p&gt;Coming into the final day, Juve were still ahead by just one point. At the Olimpico, Lazio beat &lt;strong&gt;Reggina&lt;/strong&gt;. In &lt;strong&gt;Perugia&lt;/strong&gt;, however, chaos unfolded. Pierluigi Collina had to postpone the game for an hour due to &lt;strong&gt;rainfall&lt;/strong&gt;. When play resumed, Juve couldn’t gain their composure and &lt;strong&gt;Calori&lt;/strong&gt; managed to score, effectively handing the &lt;strong&gt;Scudetto&lt;/strong&gt; to &lt;strong&gt;Lazio&lt;/strong&gt;, the second in their history.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The other bank of the Tiber - 2000/2001&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The 2000/2001 campaign got going on 30 September because of the Sydney Olympics. Fabio &lt;strong&gt;Capello’s Roma&lt;/strong&gt;, strengthened in the summer with signings like Batistuta, Emerson and Samuel, were determined to secure a Scudetto that they hadn’t won since 1983. After 13 games, there was already a clear &lt;strong&gt;gap&lt;/strong&gt;: eight points over Juventus. The Giallorossi were in full flow, but in the face-off on Matchday 29 at the &lt;strong&gt;Delle Alpi&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Juventus &lt;/strong&gt;seemed to be on the verge of ruining everything. Del Piero and Zidane got Juve two in front in the first six minutes, putting Roma’s backs against the wall. It seemed to be the beginning of the end, but substitute &lt;strong&gt;Hidetoshi Nakata &lt;/strong&gt;boosted his side with a goal, and an assist for Montella, securing a key 2-2 draw.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The trophy lift seemed inevitable, but for Totti and his teammates, there was still time for another shake. The Giallorossi lost two games in a row to AC Milan and Napoli, reopening everything: Juventus were only two points behind, while &lt;strong&gt;Lazio &lt;/strong&gt;also began to dream, as, with a string of good results, it was possible for them to win in the last game in a sensational Scudetto play-off in the Derby della Capitale. It was bedlam at the &lt;strong&gt;Olimpico &lt;/strong&gt;on 17 June: Roma beat &lt;strong&gt;Parma &lt;/strong&gt;with a routine &lt;strong&gt;3-1 &lt;/strong&gt;win, sealed by their standout players: Totti, Montell and Batistuta. The final whistle signalled &lt;strong&gt;Romanista triumph&lt;/strong&gt;, accompanied by their captain’s tears and Giallorossi jubilation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;figure data-asset-id=&#34;1bc1ec0c-08f0-46af-bc66-3466a72a8709&#34; data-image-id=&#34;1bc1ec0c-08f0-46af-bc66-3466a72a8709&#34;&gt;&lt;img src=&#34;https://assets-eu-01.kc-usercontent.com:443/6be6dbcf-fd70-012d-ec80-2d3245f5ce6a/826cf219-6946-492f-98d5-466765993c6c/Sito_HERO_roma_2001.png&#34; data-asset-id=&#34;1bc1ec0c-08f0-46af-bc66-3466a72a8709&#34; data-image-id=&#34;1bc1ec0c-08f0-46af-bc66-3466a72a8709&#34; alt=&#34;&#34;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Juventus at last - 2001/2002&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The next season brought new managers into Serie A: some inexperienced, like the Argentine, &lt;strong&gt;Héctor Cúper&lt;/strong&gt;, straight off a positive, but unfortunate, experience with Valencia; some veterans also came back, including Marcello &lt;strong&gt;Lippi &lt;/strong&gt;at Juventus. The first part of the season was marked by &lt;strong&gt;Chievo Verona’s &lt;/strong&gt;fairytale story with Del Neri. Until December, the top of the table saw only one change between Chievo, Inter and Roma, but from the halfway point onwards, the Clivensi lost their edge because of Juve’s powerful ascent. The title race became a nail-biting battle between Inter, Juve and Roma, with all three of them taking turns at the top, week after week.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;With their 3-1 win at the Meazza against Roma on 24 March, &lt;strong&gt;Inter &lt;/strong&gt;tried to break away, but they then took an unexpected stumble with a home loss to Atalanta. With their destiny in their own hands, on the third to last game, the Nerazzurri saw their lead against &lt;strong&gt;Chievo &lt;/strong&gt;in Verona slip away in the 90th minute, before a comfortable win in Milan against Piacenza. The table was so &lt;strong&gt;tight&lt;/strong&gt; on the last matchday: Inter 69, Juventus 68, Roma 67. Anything could happen. On &lt;strong&gt;5 May&lt;/strong&gt;, in an &lt;strong&gt;Olimpico &lt;/strong&gt;with a mix of Nerazzurri and Biancocelesti colours, Cuper’s men got back from behind twice against &lt;strong&gt;Lazio&lt;/strong&gt;, but still ended up losing 4-2. &lt;strong&gt;Juventus &lt;/strong&gt;beat Udinese with goals from &lt;strong&gt;Trezeguet &lt;/strong&gt;and &lt;strong&gt;Del Piero&lt;/strong&gt;, becoming &lt;strong&gt;Champions of Italy&lt;/strong&gt;, and winning a much-needed title after missing out two years in a row in the last game of the season.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;figure data-asset-id=&#34;36dd8051-474b-4b1f-a993-6929cb376459&#34; data-image-id=&#34;36dd8051-474b-4b1f-a993-6929cb376459&#34;&gt;&lt;img src=&#34;https://assets-eu-01.kc-usercontent.com:443/6be6dbcf-fd70-012d-ec80-2d3245f5ce6a/5b577a36-2512-4344-a299-941f46fd6309/Sito_HERO_juventus_2002.png&#34; data-asset-id=&#34;36dd8051-474b-4b1f-a993-6929cb376459&#34; data-image-id=&#34;36dd8051-474b-4b1f-a993-6929cb376459&#34; alt=&#34;&#34;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A final-day battle - 2007/2008&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Serie A 2007/2008 was a long chase. &lt;strong&gt;Mancini’s Inter &lt;/strong&gt;got into first place on Matchday 5, and their intention was to hold onto it the whole way through. The Nerazzurri dominated the first half of the season and they were on top by the end of Winter, with &lt;strong&gt;Spaletti’s Roma &lt;/strong&gt;trailing by seven points. The league leader’s surge, however, suddenly came to a bit of a halt: on the fourth to last game of the season, Zanetti and his teammates were surprised by AC Milan in the derby and in their next game, they couldn’t do better than a 2-2 home draw with Siena. At the same time, the Giallorossi stayed consistent and closed them down.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt; The title race then became intertwined with the &lt;strong&gt;relegation fight&lt;/strong&gt;: the two teams fighting for the last safe spot, Parma and &lt;strong&gt;Catania&lt;/strong&gt;, were both Inter and Roma’s opposition in the last game of the campaign. The last 90 minutes of the season opened with &lt;strong&gt;Vučinić’s&lt;/strong&gt; goal at the &lt;strong&gt;Olimpico,&lt;/strong&gt; which propelled the Capitolini to the top. At the Tardini, however, the reigning champions went in 0-0 at half time, intent on chasing away any chance of failure. In their time of need, Zlatan &lt;strong&gt;Ibrahimović&lt;/strong&gt; stepped up, and the Swede put the Inter fans into ecstasy with a superb &lt;strong&gt;brace&lt;/strong&gt;. Mancini won his &lt;strong&gt;third consecutive Scudetto&lt;/strong&gt;, while Parma said goodbye to Serie A.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;figure data-asset-id=&#34;b5a8d9a7-cbea-48c3-97ec-33c598d3d0e1&#34; data-image-id=&#34;b5a8d9a7-cbea-48c3-97ec-33c598d3d0e1&#34;&gt;&lt;img src=&#34;https://assets-eu-01.kc-usercontent.com:443/6be6dbcf-fd70-012d-ec80-2d3245f5ce6a/4472d061-56dd-45f8-9493-94d603261689/Sito_HERO_inter_2008.jpg&#34; data-asset-id=&#34;b5a8d9a7-cbea-48c3-97ec-33c598d3d0e1&#34; data-image-id=&#34;b5a8d9a7-cbea-48c3-97ec-33c598d3d0e1&#34; alt=&#34;&#34;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Nerazzurri treble - 2009/2010&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The 2009/10 season is the perfect setting for one of the most &lt;strong&gt;legendary achievements &lt;/strong&gt;in Italian football. &lt;strong&gt;Mourinho’s &lt;/strong&gt;Inter, which was reinforced in the summer after the departure of Ibra with the signing of &lt;strong&gt;Eto’o, Lucio &lt;/strong&gt;and&lt;strong&gt; Sneijder&lt;/strong&gt;, started strong and ended the calendar year five points clear of AC Milan. But, in January, &lt;strong&gt;Roma &lt;/strong&gt;made a charge: they made the most of Il Diavolo and Juve’s poor form and took second place. The Nerazzurri slowed down slightly with commitments in three competitions - Champions League, Coppa Italia and the league - and they lost their top-of-the-table clash at the Olimpico on &lt;strong&gt;Matchday 33&lt;/strong&gt;. Advantage Roma.&lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; &amp;nbsp;But, Inter didn’t give up, and, aided by the Giallorossi’s home loss to &lt;strong&gt;Sampdoria&lt;/strong&gt;, they retook first place, and it didn’t change from then on. Inter didn’t put a single step wrong and they made it to the final game of the season with an advantage of only one point, aware that the gap was small, but enough. In &lt;strong&gt;Siena&lt;/strong&gt;, the Scudetto was sealed by &lt;strong&gt;Milito&lt;/strong&gt;, whose goal was enough to make Inter champions for the 18th time. It was the second of three trophies won by the only Italian club to complete the &lt;strong&gt;Treble&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;figure data-asset-id=&#34;a6eee02b-56a7-43f9-a910-8745d0cc76c6&#34; data-image-id=&#34;a6eee02b-56a7-43f9-a910-8745d0cc76c6&#34;&gt;&lt;img src=&#34;https://assets-eu-01.kc-usercontent.com:443/6be6dbcf-fd70-012d-ec80-2d3245f5ce6a/d28e6e41-a0d6-4072-bb7f-73f8a0af7468/Sito_HERO_inter_2010.jpg&#34; data-asset-id=&#34;a6eee02b-56a7-43f9-a910-8745d0cc76c6&#34; data-image-id=&#34;a6eee02b-56a7-43f9-a910-8745d0cc76c6&#34; alt=&#34;&#34;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;To find another campaign that was decided right at the end, you need to look to the 2021/2022 season, and &lt;strong&gt;Pioli’s AC Milan’s &lt;/strong&gt;incredible year, becoming Italian Champions at the end of a tense battle with the Nerazzurri. What really sealed it was the return fixture in the Derby, which was the turning point, in which Olivier Giroud, with a great brace, pushed the Nerazzurri back, putting the Rossoneri on course to win the title. From that game on, Il Diavolo were perfect and they ended the season with a final run that crowned them as Italian champions for the first time in eleven years.&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Today, the battle between Napoli and Inter promises a tense end of the season: the Scudetto could be decided in the last game of the season, in a fiery finale just like some of those in previous seasons. Will we see another remarkable change right at the end?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;(Photo LaPresse)&lt;/p&gt;

From the era of Sacchi and Maradona to the triumphs of Mourinho and Pioli: let’s take a look back at the most hard-fought Serie A seasons in the last ten years, when the title was decided at the final moment. 

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Napoli and Inter are locked in a duel and heading towards a very tense finale: the final four games will decide who will earn the right to wear the Scudetto on their chest. Such a tight race hasn’t been seen in the last two seasons, with Luciano Spalletti’s Napoli and Simone Inzaghi’s Inter able to dominate the league, creating an unbridgeable gap over their rivals. We have to go back to the 2021/22 season to find such a tight season, the fight between AC Milan and Inter. However, the history of the Serie is filled with legendary seasons, made immortal by the tension of head-to-head battles which ended with tight finishes. Let’s take a look back at some of the most unforgettable seasons.The first Scudetto of the Berlusconi Era - 1987/88Ottavio Bianchi’s Napoli, the reigning champions, entered the Spring of 1988 in full-flight, with a four point advantage above AC Milan, in the era of two points per win. Powered and led by the goals of the attacking trio of Maradona, Careca and Giordano, the Partenopei seemed destined to defend their title, but something happened at the most crucial part of the season. The Azzurri, who had only lost twice in 25 matches, fell apart in the run-in: in the final five matches, they recorded four defeats and picked up just one point out of a possible ten.Sacchi’s AC Milan side, after a turbulent first half of the season, got back on track thanks to the return of Van Basten, and made the most of Napoli’s collapse to close the gap at the top of the table. The turning point came on 1 May at San Paolo: in one of the most iconic direct clashes in the Serie A, the Rossoneri won 3-2 thanks to Virdis’ brace and a strike from Van Basten, enabling them to overtake. At that point, two draws against Juventus and Como were enough to seal the Rossoneri’s return to the top of Italian Football, after nine years of waiting, and to inaugurate the Berlusconi era at AC Milan with a Scudetto.<figure data-asset-id="4b2c7f78-7b33-4f5e-877d-65a2650312db" data-image-id="4b2c7f78-7b33-4f5e-877d-65a2650312db"><img src="https://assets-eu-01.kc-usercontent.com:443/6be6dbcf-fd70-012d-ec80-2d3245f5ce6a/fa3029f1-ae92-4be1-bbbf-9770b802e01a/Sito_HERO_sacchi.png" data-asset-id="4b2c7f78-7b33-4f5e-877d-65a2650312db" data-image-id="4b2c7f78-7b33-4f5e-877d-65a2650312db" alt=""></figure>Napoli’s revenge - 1989/90 Two years later, it was a two horse race again. Napoli and AC Milan locked horns in a spectacular battle for the league title. The battle was lit up by the brilliance of players like Maradona, Van Basten and Roberto Baggio. Napoli started well and were crowned the Winter Champions, but they hit a slump which allowed AC Milan to top the table. Baresi and his teammates seemed in total control in March, as they were able to manage their advantage with experience enabled by Sacchi’s management. Once again, there was no shortage of drama. The Partenopei bounced back at the start of April with a number of wins which enabled them to draw level in the league. The decisive moment came in the second to last game, when Albertino Bigon’s Azzurri won against Bologna, whilst AC Milan suffered a fatal defeat against Verona. It was a painful case of déjà-vu for the Rossoneri fans, who experienced a fatal loss to Verona in 1973. In the final game of the season, in front of a packed San Paolo, Napoli needed a win against Lazio to be crowned champions: it was Marco Baroni, the current Lazio Coach, who scored the goal to make the city erupt, earning Napoli’s second ever Scudetto.<figure data-asset-id="1d41ea07-ebb2-462c-b45f-71cae3051d52" data-image-id="1d41ea07-ebb2-462c-b45f-71cae3051d52"><img src="https://assets-eu-01.kc-usercontent.com:443/6be6dbcf-fd70-012d-ec80-2d3245f5ce6a/8c5d67df-1a61-46db-a2f3-d6212a846402/Sito_HERO_napoli_90.png" data-asset-id="1d41ea07-ebb2-462c-b45f-71cae3051d52" data-image-id="1d41ea07-ebb2-462c-b45f-71cae3051d52" alt=""></figure>Zaccheroni’s comeback - 1998/1999 To find such a fiercely contested title race, we need to jump ahead about a decade to the 1998/99 season, which was marked by a very fast start from Fiorentina and Juventus, and then the comeback by Roma and Parma. By the end of the first half of the season two teams emerged, Sven-Göran Eriksson’s Lazio climbed up the table thanks to nine consecutive wins and Zaccheroni’s AC Milan who were captained by Bierhoff. The Biancocelesti, led in attack by Salas and Vieri, made the most of the stumbles of their rival to make their way to the top, with only the Rossoneri (who were seven points behind) being able to keep up. Nesta and his teammates suffered too many slip-ups, allowing AC Milan to close the gap. &nbsp;<figure data-asset-id="5310acbc-6088-47df-8f1e-87f116e30f1a" data-image-id="5310acbc-6088-47df-8f1e-87f116e30f1a"><img src="https://assets-eu-01.kc-usercontent.com:443/6be6dbcf-fd70-012d-ec80-2d3245f5ce6a/009153e3-b786-4b64-8d8c-f20f0174029f/Sito_HERO_zaccheroni.png" data-asset-id="5310acbc-6088-47df-8f1e-87f116e30f1a" data-image-id="5310acbc-6088-47df-8f1e-87f116e30f1a" alt=""></figure>The leaders felt the Rossoneri breathing down their neck and began to fall out. AC Milan, however, didn’t falter and won their last seven matches. On the penultimate matchday, Lazio were held to a draw in Florence and Zaccheroni’s men beat Empoli. The finale was played out in Perugia, where AC Milan needed to win. At the Curi, Zaccheroni’s side completed their comeback thanks to goals from Guglielminpietro and Bierhoff, as well as an iconic save from Abbiati to deny Rapajć, securing the 16th Scudetto, in the same year that the club celebrated their centenary.The title goes through Perugia once again - 1999/2000 The 1999/2000 Serie A season was one of the most hard-fought battles ever. Juventus, Lazio, Inter, Roma and AC Milan battled for months, but with some great form at the start of the second half of the season, Carlo Ancelotti’s Bianconeri pulled away, moving nine points ahead of Eriksson’s Lazio side. It seemed finished, but at that time, Serie A was a minefield. Two consecutive defeats, against AC Milan and in a direct clash against Lazio at the Delle Alpi - decided by a goal from Simeone.&nbsp;<figure data-asset-id="6a3dde05-3ca2-4e8a-aefb-fe8694c49ec1" data-image-id="6a3dde05-3ca2-4e8a-aefb-fe8694c49ec1"><img src="https://assets-eu-01.kc-usercontent.com:443/6be6dbcf-fd70-012d-ec80-2d3245f5ce6a/283bf89a-31da-4c58-9c6f-5fd3712cba1a/Sito_HERO_lazio_2000.jpg" data-asset-id="6a3dde05-3ca2-4e8a-aefb-fe8694c49ec1" data-image-id="6a3dde05-3ca2-4e8a-aefb-fe8694c49ec1" alt=""></figure>Coming into the final day, Juve were still ahead by just one point. At the Olimpico, Lazio beat Reggina. In Perugia, however, chaos unfolded. Pierluigi Collina had to postpone the game for an hour due to rainfall. When play resumed, Juve couldn’t gain their composure and Calori managed to score, effectively handing the Scudetto to Lazio, the second in their history.The other bank of the Tiber - 2000/2001The 2000/2001 campaign got going on 30 September because of the Sydney Olympics. Fabio Capello’s Roma, strengthened in the summer with signings like Batistuta, Emerson and Samuel, were determined to secure a Scudetto that they hadn’t won since 1983. After 13 games, there was already a clear gap: eight points over Juventus. The Giallorossi were in full flow, but in the face-off on Matchday 29 at the Delle Alpi, Juventus seemed to be on the verge of ruining everything. Del Piero and Zidane got Juve two in front in the first six minutes, putting Roma’s backs against the wall. It seemed to be the beginning of the end, but substitute Hidetoshi Nakata boosted his side with a goal, and an assist for Montella, securing a key 2-2 draw.The trophy lift seemed inevitable, but for Totti and his teammates, there was still time for another shake. The Giallorossi lost two games in a row to AC Milan and Napoli, reopening everything: Juventus were only two points behind, while Lazio also began to dream, as, with a string of good results, it was possible for them to win in the last game in a sensational Scudetto play-off in the Derby della Capitale. It was bedlam at the Olimpico on 17 June: Roma beat Parma with a routine 3-1 win, sealed by their standout players: Totti, Montell and Batistuta. The final whistle signalled Romanista triumph, accompanied by their captain’s tears and Giallorossi jubilation.<figure data-asset-id="1bc1ec0c-08f0-46af-bc66-3466a72a8709" data-image-id="1bc1ec0c-08f0-46af-bc66-3466a72a8709"><img src="https://assets-eu-01.kc-usercontent.com:443/6be6dbcf-fd70-012d-ec80-2d3245f5ce6a/826cf219-6946-492f-98d5-466765993c6c/Sito_HERO_roma_2001.png" data-asset-id="1bc1ec0c-08f0-46af-bc66-3466a72a8709" data-image-id="1bc1ec0c-08f0-46af-bc66-3466a72a8709" alt=""></figure>Juventus at last - 2001/2002The next season brought new managers into Serie A: some inexperienced, like the Argentine, Héctor Cúper, straight off a positive, but unfortunate, experience with Valencia; some veterans also came back, including Marcello Lippi at Juventus. The first part of the season was marked by Chievo Verona’s fairytale story with Del Neri. Until December, the top of the table saw only one change between Chievo, Inter and Roma, but from the halfway point onwards, the Clivensi lost their edge because of Juve’s powerful ascent. The title race became a nail-biting battle between Inter, Juve and Roma, with all three of them taking turns at the top, week after week.With their 3-1 win at the Meazza against Roma on 24 March, Inter tried to break away, but they then took an unexpected stumble with a home loss to Atalanta. With their destiny in their own hands, on the third to last game, the Nerazzurri saw their lead against Chievo in Verona slip away in the 90th minute, before a comfortable win in Milan against Piacenza. The table was so tight on the last matchday: Inter 69, Juventus 68, Roma 67. Anything could happen. On 5 May, in an Olimpico with a mix of Nerazzurri and Biancocelesti colours, Cuper’s men got back from behind twice against Lazio, but still ended up losing 4-2. Juventus beat Udinese with goals from Trezeguet and Del Piero, becoming Champions of Italy, and winning a much-needed title after missing out two years in a row in the last game of the season.<figure data-asset-id="36dd8051-474b-4b1f-a993-6929cb376459" data-image-id="36dd8051-474b-4b1f-a993-6929cb376459"><img src="https://assets-eu-01.kc-usercontent.com:443/6be6dbcf-fd70-012d-ec80-2d3245f5ce6a/5b577a36-2512-4344-a299-941f46fd6309/Sito_HERO_juventus_2002.png" data-asset-id="36dd8051-474b-4b1f-a993-6929cb376459" data-image-id="36dd8051-474b-4b1f-a993-6929cb376459" alt=""></figure>A final-day battle - 2007/2008Serie A 2007/2008 was a long chase. Mancini’s Inter got into first place on Matchday 5, and their intention was to hold onto it the whole way through. The Nerazzurri dominated the first half of the season and they were on top by the end of Winter, with Spaletti’s Roma trailing by seven points. The league leader’s surge, however, suddenly came to a bit of a halt: on the fourth to last game of the season, Zanetti and his teammates were surprised by AC Milan in the derby and in their next game, they couldn’t do better than a 2-2 home draw with Siena. At the same time, the Giallorossi stayed consistent and closed them down. The title race then became intertwined with the relegation fight: the two teams fighting for the last safe spot, Parma and Catania, were both Inter and Roma’s opposition in the last game of the campaign. The last 90 minutes of the season opened with Vučinić’s goal at the Olimpico, which propelled the Capitolini to the top. At the Tardini, however, the reigning champions went in 0-0 at half time, intent on chasing away any chance of failure. In their time of need, Zlatan Ibrahimović stepped up, and the Swede put the Inter fans into ecstasy with a superb brace. Mancini won his third consecutive Scudetto, while Parma said goodbye to Serie A.<figure data-asset-id="b5a8d9a7-cbea-48c3-97ec-33c598d3d0e1" data-image-id="b5a8d9a7-cbea-48c3-97ec-33c598d3d0e1"><img src="https://assets-eu-01.kc-usercontent.com:443/6be6dbcf-fd70-012d-ec80-2d3245f5ce6a/4472d061-56dd-45f8-9493-94d603261689/Sito_HERO_inter_2008.jpg" data-asset-id="b5a8d9a7-cbea-48c3-97ec-33c598d3d0e1" data-image-id="b5a8d9a7-cbea-48c3-97ec-33c598d3d0e1" alt=""></figure>The Nerazzurri treble - 2009/2010The 2009/10 season is the perfect setting for one of the most legendary achievements in Italian football. Mourinho’s Inter, which was reinforced in the summer after the departure of Ibra with the signing of Eto’o, Lucio and Sneijder, started strong and ended the calendar year five points clear of AC Milan. But, in January, Roma made a charge: they made the most of Il Diavolo and Juve’s poor form and took second place. The Nerazzurri slowed down slightly with commitments in three competitions - Champions League, Coppa Italia and the league - and they lost their top-of-the-table clash at the Olimpico on Matchday 33. Advantage Roma. &nbsp;But, Inter didn’t give up, and, aided by the Giallorossi’s home loss to Sampdoria, they retook first place, and it didn’t change from then on. Inter didn’t put a single step wrong and they made it to the final game of the season with an advantage of only one point, aware that the gap was small, but enough. In Siena, the Scudetto was sealed by Milito, whose goal was enough to make Inter champions for the 18th time. It was the second of three trophies won by the only Italian club to complete the Treble. &nbsp;&nbsp;<figure data-asset-id="a6eee02b-56a7-43f9-a910-8745d0cc76c6" data-image-id="a6eee02b-56a7-43f9-a910-8745d0cc76c6"><img src="https://assets-eu-01.kc-usercontent.com:443/6be6dbcf-fd70-012d-ec80-2d3245f5ce6a/d28e6e41-a0d6-4072-bb7f-73f8a0af7468/Sito_HERO_inter_2010.jpg" data-asset-id="a6eee02b-56a7-43f9-a910-8745d0cc76c6" data-image-id="a6eee02b-56a7-43f9-a910-8745d0cc76c6" alt=""></figure> To find another campaign that was decided right at the end, you need to look to the 2021/2022 season, and Pioli’s AC Milan’s incredible year, becoming Italian Champions at the end of a tense battle with the Nerazzurri. What really sealed it was the return fixture in the Derby, which was the turning point, in which Olivier Giroud, with a great brace, pushed the Nerazzurri back, putting the Rossoneri on course to win the title. From that game on, Il Diavolo were perfect and they ended the season with a final run that crowned them as Italian champions for the first time in eleven years. Today, the battle between Napoli and Inter promises a tense end of the season: the Scudetto could be decided in the last game of the season, in a fiery finale just like some of those in previous seasons. Will we see another remarkable change right at the end?(Photo LaPresse)

HEAD-TO-HEAD BATTLES IN THE RACE FOR THE SCUDETTO | News

HEAD-TO-HEAD BATTLES IN THE RACE FOR THE SCUDETTO

From the era of Sacchi and Maradona to the triumphs of Mourinho and Pioli: let’s take a look back at the most hard-fought Serie A seasons in the last ten years, when the title was decided at the final moment.

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HEAD-TO-HEAD BATTLES IN THE RACE FOR THE SCUDETTO | News