The latest round of Serie games, in week 26 from February 23rd until February 26th never disappoints. The drama, twists and turns and more may not have changed the top of the table but have cemented Inter Milan’s grip on the Italian title. Speaking of grips, it’s fair to say that the black and blue Milanese outfit has at least one hand on the Scudetto. While serial winners Juventus had a last-minute winner to save their blushes with a 3-2 victory over Frosinone, AC Milan had to settle for a disappointing home draw against Atalanta. Elsewhere, Internazionale’s title charge was boosted by a devastating away win over Lecce by four goals to nil. The title seems like Inter Milan’s to lose. It’s a sentiment that’s reflected by Italian bookmakers. Having said that, a title race is never over until it’s officially over. Think about Lazio losing the 1999 Scudetto to AC Milan and indeed Inter blowing the 2002 title on the last day to Juventus.
The table never lies
With the likes of Lautaro Martinez, Denzel Dumfries, Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Co, delivering great football according to coach Simone Inzaghi’s well-admired footballing masterplan, Inter Milan is the team leaving the rest behind with an impressive tally of 69 points after 26 games. However, other top contenders such as Juventus with 57 points, AC Milan with 53 points, Thiago Motta’s Bologna with 48 points and the Jose Mourinho-less Roma completing the top five, are not giving up the chase just yet as this is football and crazier things have happened. The good news for Inter Milan is that of the chasing pack, it’s second-placed Juventus whose form is stuttering by only taking four points from the last available 12 on offer.
What about the champions?
Inter Milan this year are like Napoli last year when they won the title with several games to go and a 16-point gap between them and Lazio. It’s fair to say that Napoli will not defend their title this year. Yes, those Scudettos (the little shields) emblazoned on the current champion’s jerseys will be heading elsewhere next season. Due to a mixture of their championship coach leaving, Kim Min-Jae transferring to Bayern Munich, injuries to key players and main goal scorer Victor Osimhen playing at the African Cup of Nations during the Italian league season, Napoli won’t be celebrating a title like they did last year. Having said that, the team from Naples is currently fighting hard for European qualification so continue to watch that space.
Looking forward to the final stretch
With the season heading into its decisive phase, certain fixtures stand out as potentially pivotal in determining the destiny of the Scudetto. In the opinion of Italian bookmakers around the country, these matches are not just about the points at stake but also the psychological advantage they can afford to one team over another. For example, the Snai bookmaker quotes Internazionale Scudetto’s victory at just 1.01, while those of Juventus and Milan are quoted at 20.00 and 25.00 respectively.
Elsewhere, for the bookmaker Sisal, the race for the title is already over, given that – apart from Internazionale’s victory at 1.01 – the unlikely victories of Juventus and Milan are quoted at 25.00 and 66.00 respectively. The same goes for the Eurobet bookmaker, whose odds are 1.01 (Inter Milan), 21.00 (Juventus) and 61.00 (AC Milan).
Despite their lead, Inter Milan must keep their focus, maintain squad morale, avoid pivotal injuries and possibly tweak strategies to ensure they cross the finish line. The landscape of betting is shaped significantly by the sentiments within the betting community. Beyond the odds, there’s a palpable sense of backing from bettors for teams that might not be outright favorites but have shown potential for the unbelievable. Expert and analyst insights also play a crucial role, offering perspectives that might not align entirely with the bookies’ views but are invaluable for those looking to understand the undercurrents shaping the Scudetto race.
Champions-elect
Internazionale have been so dominant that some bookmakers won’t even take any more bets on them winning the title. Despite the disappointment of losing last year’s UEFA Champions League final and the loss of Romelu Lukaku, Andre Onana and Edin Džeko, Simone Inzaghi seems to have a great football plan that has attracted praise from all quarters. In addition, Inter had another excellent transfer market last summer, with key acquisitions such as Alexis Sanchez, Yann Sommer and Benjamin Pavard. If there is to be a miracle, it could be with the Old Lady Juventus. That’s because they have the advantage of not playing in European tournaments, thereby letting them focus on the league. Whereas Milan, with all their talent but a premature elimination from the Champions League and the Coppa Italia, might be bidding farewell to coach Stefano Pioli at the end of the season.
