Down to the wire: Napoli & Inter Milan set for Scudetto shoot-out | OneFootball

The 2024/25 Serie A title race has gone down to the wire, with only a point standing between Napoli and Inter Milan heading into the last two matchdays.

Narrowly ahead of the reigning Scudetto holders in the Serie A standings, Antonio Conte’s men hold their destiny firmly in their own hands ahead of Sunday’s visit to Parma.

And with their final two league fixtures pitting them against the division’s lower-ranked sides, the stars may have aligned for the ex-Inter boss to lead the Partenopei to their second title in three years.

However, complacency is not a commodity Napoli can afford down the final stretch, especially after bottom-half Genoa stunned them in the previous round.

Napoli’s title grip loosened as a late 2-2 draw blew the Scudetto race wide open, boosting Inter’s hopes of becoming the first Serie A title holders to defend their crown in five years.

Serial winner

Despite all the controversy and sorrowful endings to some of his previous jobs, it’s nearly impossible to escape the proposition that Conte is one of the best in business.

Not even the most optimistic Napoli fans could’ve dreamt of them being this close to wrapping up a fourth top-flight title after a miserable tenth-place finish last term.

However, the 55-year-old is potentially 180 minutes away from turning a pipe dream into a reality as he aims to cement his place in the pantheon of Serie A’s all-time greats.

After winning three consecutive league titles with Juventus and inspiring Inter to their 19th Scudetto in 2020/21, Conte looks destined to complete an unprecedented hat-trick.

Formidable foe

Simone Inzaghi replaced Conte in Inter’s dugout in 2021 and has since set multiple club records.

In addition to guiding the Nerazzurri to two Champions League finals in three years, he helped them win a landmark 20th Scudetto last season.

The 49-year-old has performed above expectations, but defying the recent ‘reigning holders jinx’ could prove a tall order.

Confidence comes from Inter’s form resurgence and a subsiding injury crisis, with the defending champions back on track after a rough spell in late April.

Sub-par rivals

Following a last-gasp 2-1 win in August’s reverse fixture, Napoli can post their fourth consecutive league win against Parma for the first time in club history.

A ten-game unbeaten Serie A streak bodes well, but their troubled away record against newly promoted clubs offers a note of caution.

Conte’s charges have failed to beat both newcomers on the road this term, drawing at Venezia while losing at Como.

However, if they buck that trend on Sunday, a final-day home clash against perennial bottom-half strugglers Cagliari should be a mere formality.

Not only are Napoli unbeaten on home turf since late December, but they meet a team bereft of confidence and motivation after weathering a relegation storm.

Tricky schedule

Stretched between competitions, Inter must set their priorities straight, with a mouth-watering Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain waiting in the wings.

Back-to-back league wins have reinstilled optimism at the San Siro ahead of Lazio’s visit, making the Nerazzurri faithful believe that a comeback is possible.

Inzaghi’s team trounced the Biancocelesti 6-0 in December’s reverse fixture and have won four of their last five meetings at Giuseppe Meazza, except for a 1-1 draw in 2023/24.

Although they are at Napoli’s mercy, Inter must hold up their end of the bargain and hope for the best as they seek their first Serie A double over Lazio since 2016/17.

It would position them nicely for the last-round away encounter against Como, a team they defeated 2-0 at home earlier this season.

However, Cesc Fabregas’ men enter the season finale amid a purple patch, having won their last six league games on the trot.

Prediction

On paper, this looks like a done deal unless Napoli slip.

Stranger things have happened in football, but Conte should climb to the podium at the expense of his former club and etch his name in Serie A folklore.