The biggest leagues in Europe are closing in on the dates when they will resume, and there are very few leagues on the continent that has as much to be decided in the closing weeks than Serie A. Two dates have been put forward regarding when the league could resume, with either the 13th or the 20th June being when action in Italy will restart.
Action in Italy has been unmissable throughout the season. But what are the key positions that will be decided over the final 12 rounds of the season?
Juventus To Win A Ninth Straight Title
The biggest prize of all in Italy is still up for grabs, and it would seem that it is now a two-horse race. Inter Milan has long been considered the biggest rivals for the title. But their run of just two victories in their previous six had left them nine points behind Juventus.
That means that the nail-biting title race will go down to the wire between Juventus and Lazio. Lazio have enjoyed a season to remember in 2019-20, as they have lost just twice in Serie A. If the Serie A teams were Kentucky Derby contenders, Lazio would have been the dark horse that no one saw coming.
Juventus hold the narrow one-point lead, but all eyes will be on the upcoming fixture between the two title rivals, as Lazio still have to travel to Juventus. That game will come on matchday 34. Which means the destination of the Serie A title could be decided on that day.
Final Champions League Spot
There is still a fight for the final Champions League spot to be settled when Serie A returns, with Atalanta and Roma both hoping that they can seal their place in the competition for next season. There is very little between the sides at present, with Roma trailing Atalanta by three points ahead of the restart. Atalanta do have a game in hand over Roma, and that could prove critical in the battle.
Napoli may not have given up their fight for a Champions League finish, but they are currently nine points behind Atalanta.
There are still tough fixtures on the horizon for Atalanta, as they play Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan. However, two of those fixtures are away from home, which would be considered a benefit for Atalanta. Especially when you consider that they have only lost once on the road this season.
Napoli will realistically be hoping that they can hold onto their Europa League spot. They will have AC Milan, Hellas Verona and Parma as their competitors.
Final Relegation Spot
Down at the bottom, there is still the final relegation spot that is yet to be decided. Brescia and Spal both look doomed for the drop as they are currently nine and seven points behind 17th laced Genoa respectively.
However, Lecce are level on points with Genoa, and Sampdoria are just a point further ahead. Claudio Ranieri is the man currently in charge of Sampdoria. And the former Leicester coach has quite a task to lift the historical Italian club from the relegation places.
Torino and Udinese are also likely to be engaged in the relegation fight. While 13th placed Fiorentina should be safe from getting involved.
Lecce’s form had picked up over recent weeks as they had won three of their previous five before the suspension. Sampdoria and Genoa have also won two of their previous three, which has left Torino looking nervously over their shoulders.
They haven’t won in six Serie A games before the suspension. And the writing has looked to be on the wall for them since the winter break. Whichever side returns to action in the strongest form will have the best chance of survival, but there is every chance that the Serie A relegation battle will go down to the last game of the season.