Like many title races across Europe, the battle for the Scudetto in Serie A was a great one from start to finish. At one point, it was AC Milan leading the way, leading many Rossoneri fans to think that finally, this could be the season that Milan would end their decade-long wait to become champions of Italy. But then in February, Inter seized control and didn't look back after winning the Derby della Madonnina. Meanwhile, Juventus were left playing catch-up as the two Milan-based teams routinely traded places as the no. 1 and the no. 2 teams, with even Roma at one point trying to have a say as they enjoyed sitting in third place for a brief period.
In short, it was a wild ride, but eventually, Inter ended up walking away with the biggest domestic prize in Italian football: the Scudetto, and finished the season by a whopping 12 point lead over the chasing pack.
Let's have a look at what happened during the final matchday of the 2020/2021 Serie A season.
How things shaped out in the table at the end of matchday 38 in Serie A
With Inter winning their 19th Scudetto and their first title since 2010, the battle was on for a coveted spot in the Champions League. At the start of matchday 38, it was Milan and Napoli who were looking good to join the Nerazzurri, along with Atalanta who had managed to surprisingly sneak into second place. Juventus, for their part, were languishing in fifth, meaning that the team who'd won the last nine Scudetti were in danger of missing out and would have to play in the Europa League next season.
However, things ended up looking a lot different once matchday 38 finished, as we see below:
Atalanta were very fortunate not to be pushed out of the Champions League spots entirely after losing 2-0 to Milan on the final matchday. In fact, if Napoli had won their game against Hellas Verona, the Partenopei would have picked up 79 points. However, La Dea still would have squeezed into a Champions League spot thanks to their slightly better head-to-head record over Juventus, which saw them draw 1-1 and beat La Vecchia Signora 1-0.
Who won the Capocannoniere for the 2020/2021 Serie A season?
Not shockingly, Cristiano Ronaldo. Unfortunately, despite winning his first Capocannoniere, the 36-year-old wasn't able to fire Juventus to their 10th straight Scudetto this season, as the Bianconeri were pipped to the coveted prize by bitter rivals Inter.
The good, the bad, and the ugly of the 2020/2021 season
It's been a really entertaining 2020/2021 Serie A season, and the 38 matchdays went by in a flash! Here's a summary of the good, the bad, and the ugly of the latest installment of Italian top-flight football:
The good...
Milan set a new away wins record: Although it was bitterly disappointing for Milan not to have won the Scudetto, they got revenge on Atalanta for their 3-0 loss at the Stadio San Siro by beating La Dea 2-0 on the final matchday of the 2020/2021 season. In doing so, Stefano Pioli's side moved to second in the table, and have now secured a spot in the Champions League for the first time since the 2013/2014 campaign.
Also, that marks the 16th away win for Milan this season - which is an all-time record in Serie A. No team have done better on the road in not just Italy, but in all of Europe's "Big 5" leagues this season, and Milan's achievement matches the 16 won by Manchester City during the 2017/2018 Premier League term as well.
Crotone's Simy a shining light in a struggling side: With 20 goals, Simy joins Samuel Eto'o as the second African to hit 20 goals in a single Serie A campaign. Unfortunately for the Nigerian international, he wasn't able to prevent his team from being relegated, but his performances surely wouldn't have gone unnoticed by other teams scouting for prolific attackers at a bargain price.
It won't be any surprise if he may end up plying his trade elsewhere once the season starts up in a few months time - especially as Crotone now are back in Serie B - unless if he decides to stick with the team as they try to battle their way back up to the top flight, which many other players in his position have done in the past.
...the bad...
Fiorentina's miserable term: The Viola picked up just 40 points this season, which is enough for survival, but it's the worst tally the Tuscan side have earned since Serie A became a 20 team league. Fortunately, others fared worse, because otherwise, it's certain Fiorentina would have been relegated at the end of this campaign.
Napoli see the UCL snatched from them at the last minute: Up until matchday 38, the Azzurri and their fans thought they'd be featuring in the UCL next season. Hellas Verona, who had nothing to play for and had won just one of their last 12 games, had other plans. Napoli were made to pay for their complacency as they ended up dropping points, and coupled with Juve's win over Bologna, will now have to settle for the Europa League for next term after finishing in fifth.
...and the ugly
Roma's fall from grace: In short, Roma ended up falling from a Champions League spot, to a Europa League spot, to now featuring in the play-off rounds of the Europa Conference League. It's safe to say that Jose Mourinho, who takes over from outgoing boss Paulo Fonesca, will have a lot of work to do.
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