Juventus suffered a debacle against Atalanta in Turin, while Bologna’s victory over Verona at Bentegodi has ignited the race for fourth place in Serie A, which guarantees a spot in the Champions League. Lazio has a chance tonight against Udinese to overtake the Bianconeri in the standings and return to the UCL zone. Roma, under Claudio Ranieri, also deserves attention, having collected 30 out of a possible 36 points in the last 12 rounds. Fiorentina has been inconsistent, while Milan’s crisis cannot be dismissed simply because of a win over Lecce. All things considered, Juventus remains the favorite to finish fourth in the league, even if they drop to fifth place tonight due to a Lazio victory over Udinese.Juve players played like old ladies, so African star used itThe “Old Lady” is now solely focused on Serie A after being eliminated from all cup competitions last month. While Juventus lacks the quality to compete for the Scudetto, their squad is still strong enough to secure fourth place. The heavy defeat against Atalanta—Juventus’ first 0-4 loss in Turin in 58 years—was a wake-up call. “The good thing is that now everyone will stop talking about the Scudetto,” Thiago Motta bitterly remarked after the loss. Juventus’ coach isn’t far from the truth. Over the past week, an atmosphere was created as if the Bianconeri could truly win the title, disturbing the balance at Continassa. Some actually believed it, only to be met with a cold reality check. Juventus’ key advantage over their rivals is that they only have four matches left against teams competing for European spots—fewer than any other contender.Roma’s wolf pack doesn’t spare anyone! Empoli become the latest victimLazio has displayed solid performances, consistency, commitment, and fighting spirit, making them deserving of a Champions League return. However, in football, justice and meritocracy are often subjective and open to interpretation. Lazio faces challenges with injuries to key players and fatigue in their midfield pillars. Matteo Guendouzi and Nicolo Rovella are on the brink of exhaustion, and Lazio coach Marco Baroni would be grateful if France’s Didier Deschamps and Italy’s Luciano Spalletti spared them from international duty in mid-March. Unlike Juventus, Lazio is still competing in the Europa League and has a clear path to the semifinals. This means the Roman club will be fighting on two fronts at least until May—precisely the crucial period in the battle for fourth place. Additionally, Lazio has five top-table opponents left to face in the league, compared to Juventus’ four.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Bologna, in terms of form, is the strongest contender. Vincenzo Italiano’s side has won three consecutive matches and has suffered just one slip-up in 2025, a 0-2 loss to Parma at Tardini. However, their biggest obstacle in Serie A is their fixture schedule and the Coppa Italia. Bologna has the toughest calendar of all, facing all seven of their direct competitors from the top of the table. On top of that, they are favorites to reach the Coppa Italia final for the first time in 50 years, as they face Empoli in the semifinals. The cup final is scheduled for May 14, right between an away match against Milan at San Siro and a clash with Fiorentina at Dall’Ara.Wanna sack Motta? Prepare a lot of moneyRoma is on a strong upward trajectory. Claudio Ranieri is, in a way, reliving the 2009/10 season when he nearly won the Scudetto with the Giallorossi. Of course, this time, the title isn’t at stake, but with nine wins and three draws in the last three months of Serie A, Roma has closed the gap to just six points behind fourth place. Roma’s main concern is Paulo Dybala. The Argentine is not physically capable of playing every three days, and the club’s league ambitions will depend on their Europa League tie against Athletic Bilbao. Additionally, after Bologna, Roma has the second-toughest schedule, facing six top-table teams—everyone except Napoli.Milan arise from the abyss in a bizarre, frantic comeback against LecceFiorentina, on the other hand, has squandered a huge opportunity to be a key player in this season’s race. In the past two months, aside from predictable losses to Inter and Napoli away, they also suffered defeats to Monza, Verona, and Como. If they had secured just those nine points, Vincenzo Italiano’s men would now be positioned between Juventus, Lazio, and Bologna. Fiorentina’s schedule is less demanding than Bologna’s and similar to Lazio’s, with five remaining matches against top-table teams. However, they have already faced Inter and Napoli. The Viola also remain in the Conference League, where they could reach the final for the third consecutive time.SERIE A – MATCHDAY 28FridayCagliari – Genoa 1-1 (1-0)/Viola 18 – Cornet 47/SaturdayComo – Venezia 1-1 (0-0)/Ikone 49 – Gytkjaer 90+5 pen/Parma – Torino 2-2 (0-1)/Pellegrino 60,82 – Elmas 19, Adams 72/Lecce – Milan 2-3 (1-0)/Krstovic 7,59 – Gallo 68 og, Pulisic 73 pen, Pulisic 81/Inter – Monza 3-2 (1-2)/Arnautovic 45+1, Calhanoglou 64, Lautaro 77 – Birindelli 32, Balde 44/SundayVerona – Bologna 1-2 (0-1)/Mosquera 80 – Odgaard 40, Cambiaghi 78/Napoli – Fiorentina 2-1 (1-0)/Lukaku 26, Raspadori 60 – Gudmundsson 66/Empoli – Roma 0-1 (0-1)/Soule 1/Juventus – Atalanta 0-4 (0-1)/Retegui 29 pen, de Roon 46, Zappacosta 66, Lookman 77/Monday22:45: (1.75) Lazio (3.75) Udinese (5.20)***odds are subject to change***
