With just a handful of games remaining, the Scudetto title race is now approaching its conclusion. At the moment, Milan are on top of the table and are in strong contention to win their first title since 2011. However, reigning Scudetto champs Inter, who dumped the Rossoneri out of the Coppa Italia earlier this week, are just two points behind and are also a strong contender to win back to back titles for the first time since the 2000s. Meanwhile, Napoli may have slipped up recently, but the Partenopei haven't given up hope of pipping both Milan and Inter to the Scudetto, although they will need to see both the Nerazzurri and the Diavolo drop points over the next few rounds.
Here's all you need to know ahead of matchday 34 in Serie A.
Serie A standings heading into matchday 34
Here's how the table looks heading into matchday 34:
| Pos. | Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | P | Form | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Internazionale | 33 | 27 | 5 | 1 | 79 | 18 | +61 | 86 | WDWWD | |
| 2 | Milan | 33 | 21 | 6 | 6 | 64 | 39 | +25 | 69 | LDWWW | |
| 3 | Juventus | 33 | 18 | 10 | 5 | 47 | 26 | +21 | 64 | DDWLD | |
| 4 | Bologna | 33 | 17 | 11 | 5 | 48 | 26 | +22 | 62 | WDDWW | |
| 5 | Roma | 33 | 17 | 7 | 9 | 59 | 39 | +20 | 58 | WLWDW | |
| 6 | Atalanta | 32 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 59 | 37 | +22 | 54 | WDLWD | |
| 7 | Lazio | 33 | 16 | 4 | 13 | 42 | 35 | +7 | 52 | WWLWW | |
| 8 | Napoli | 33 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 50 | 41 | +9 | 49 | LDWLD | |
| 9 | Fiorentina | 32 | 13 | 8 | 11 | 45 | 36 | +9 | 47 | WDLLD | |
| 10 | Torino | 33 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 31 | 29 | +2 | 46 | DDLWW | |
| 11 | Monza | 33 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 35 | 43 | -8 | 43 | LDLLW | |
| 12 | Genoa | 33 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 35 | 40 | -5 | 39 | LDWDD | |
| 13 | Lecce | 33 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 30 | 48 | -18 | 35 | WWLDW | |
| 14 | Cagliari | 33 | 7 | 11 | 15 | 36 | 56 | -20 | 32 | DDWDL | |
| 15 | Hellas Verona | 33 | 7 | 10 | 16 | 31 | 44 | -13 | 31 | WDLDL | |
| 16 | Empoli | 33 | 8 | 7 | 18 | 26 | 48 | -22 | 31 | WLWLL | |
| 17 | Udinese | 33 | 4 | 16 | 13 | 31 | 50 | -19 | 28 | LLLDL | |
| 18 | Frosinone | 33 | 6 | 10 | 17 | 40 | 63 | -23 | 28 | DDDDL | |
| 19 | Sassuolo | 33 | 6 | 8 | 19 | 39 | 65 | -26 | 26 | LDDDL | |
| 20 | Salernitana | 33 | 2 | 9 | 22 | 26 | 70 | -44 | 15 | LLDLL |
Serie A games you won't want to miss on matchday 34
Inter vs Roma: Fresh off booking their spot in the Coppa Italia finals, where they'll face Juventus, Inter will turn their attention towards welcoming a familiar face: Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese tactician, who was in charge when Inter won the Treble back in 2010, will arrive at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza with Roma aiming to get one over on his former side. Both teams have picked up three wins and two draws from their last five games, and will have different reasons for wanting to secure a win here. For Inter, a victory could see them leap-frog Milan, who, interestingly, will also be taking on Roma's cross-town rivals Lazio. As for Roma, they are five points away from a top four berth, but will need a victory to narrow the gap between them and Juventus.
Empoli vs Napoli: Napoli have slipped up recently, and are winless in their last two games. This has seen the Partenopei now slide two points behind Inter and four behind Milan. Although Luciano Spalletti's side aren't out of the running, time is not on their side if they want to have any hope of winning their first Scudetto in decades. Inter and Milan do face potentially tricky tests in their respective games against Roma and Lazio, and given that Napoli's upcoming opponents Empoli have failed to win their last five matches, this could represent a golden chance for the Partenopei to pick up a vital win that could help them force their way back into the Scudetto race.
Lazio vs AC Milan: Milan won't have time to lick their wounds following their heavy loss in the Coppa Italia, as they will be traveling to the Stadio Olimpico to face Lazio this round. Although the two sides will be competing for vastly different reasons, with Stefano Pioli's side seeking to potentially extend their lead at the top of the table while Maurizio Sarri's squad hope to leap-frog rivals Roma and move into fifth spot, both will be aiming for one crucial objective: to secure all three points.
Sassuolo vs Juventus: Although they're out of the Scudetto race and the Champions League, Juventus could certainly win the Coppa Italia this season after booking their spot in the final following a victory against Fiorentina. Inter, however, won't be an easy opponent, as the Nerazzurri are seeking to clinch a domestic double at the end of this campaign. For now, though, Massimiliano Allegri's side, who sit in fourth, will look to avoid dropping points when they travel to face Sassuolo. The Neroverdi are always a tricky opponent to play, as they've established themselves as that team that can nick points off the bigger sides and throw a spanner in their plans, so the Bianconeri will need to be on guard this weekend.
Team news for matchday 34
*All info as of 22 April 2022
Milan: Ante Rebic (Knee problems), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Knee problems), Alessandro Florenzi (Knee injury), Simon Kjaer (Knee injury)
Inter: Arturo Vidal (Ankle injury)
Napoli: Kalidou Koulibaly (Suspended), Stanislav Lobotka (Muscular injury)
Juventus: Arthur (Ankle injury), Manuel Locatelli (Knee injury), Weston McKennie (Broken foot), Federico Chiesa (Knee injury), Kaio Jorge (Knee injury)
Roma: Nicolò Zaniolo (Suspended), Daniel Fuzato (Suspended)
Lazio: Pedro (Calf problems), Patric (Hamstring injury), Patryk Dziczek (Heart condition)
