Juventus claimed their 28th league title last weekend and Roma dropped out of the Europa League running, which means there are only two issues left unresolved in Serie A ahead of today’s final matches.
The first is who will join Juve and Milan in the Champions League next season.
Udinese are in pole position and need only a point from their final game away to Catania tonight to ensure they finish third.
If they fail to do so, then one of three teams could catch them.
Napoli have the edge over Udinese in head-to-head meetings but are three points behind.
They would need to beat Siena and hope Udinese lose but they would also be dependent on the real tie-breaker in Rome, where Lazio host Inter.
Lazio are the closest to Udinese, trailing by two points, with Napoli and Inter one point further back.
Lazio have an inferior head-to-head record with Udinese, so they still need the northerners to lose.
Inter are sixth but can still qualify for the Champions League if they win, Udinese lose and Napoli fail to win.
They have the head-to-head edge on Udinese but not Napoli.
The southerners will finish above both Inter and Udinese if they all end level on points but should Lazio draw, Udinese lose and Napoli win, the situation would become even more complicated.
The three-way head-to-heads would leave them all with five points and a level goal difference, which means actual goal difference would come into play.
On that count, Napoli would win hands down and Marek Hamsik is convinced there is still hope.
“We’re concentrating on Siena because we want to finish the season at home in the best way possible,” he said.
“Then we’ll wait for the others’ results because hope is the last thing to die.”
All the calculations will become redundant if Udinese avoid defeat, not that coach Francesco Guidolin is taking anything for granted.
“We’re not favourites, we’re in the race like everyone else,” he insisted.
“The fact that we’re competing with teams who represent footballing metropolises, full of footballing history and successes, fills us with pride.
“We’ll do what we can to win but the others want it too. I believe it’s still all to play for.”
Whatever happens, those who miss out will at least be guaranteed a Europa League slot as the Italian Cup final a week later pits Juve against Napoli.
Down at the bottom, Novara and Cesena have already bitten the dust and Lecce are going to need a helping hand to avoid joining them.
Their home defeat by Fiorentina last time out means they need to go to Chievo and win, while hoping Palermo can do them a favour and beat Genoa away.
That will not be easy as Palermo have one of the worst away records in the league and have lost inspirational captain and forward Fabrizio Miccoli for the clash.
However, a match that pits the worst defence in the league, Genoa, against the third-worst, should at least promise some entertainment.
At the top Juventus may have already won the league but that does not mean they will relax.
They have not yet lost this season and face two more games, at home to Atalanta and then the cup final, to go a whole season unbeaten.
They have already matched Milan’s previous record of 42 games without defeat in all competitions and can surpass that against Atalanta.
Serie A
Playing today
Catania vs Udinese (1-2) - 20.45
Cesena vs Roma (1-5) - 18.00
Chievo vs Lecce (2-2) - 20.45
Fiorentina vs Cagliari (0-0) - 15.00
Genoa vs Palermo (3-5) - 20.45
Lazio vs Inter (1-2) - 20.45
Juventus vs Atalanta (2-0) - 15.00
Milan vs Novara (3-0) - 15.00
Napoli vs Siena (1-1) - 20.45
Parma vs Bologna (0-0) - 18.00
Standings
P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
Juventus | 37 | 22 | 15 | 0 | 65 | 19 | 81 |
Milan | 37 | 23 | 8 | 6 | 72 | 32 | 77 |
Udinese | 37 | 17 | 10 | 10 | 50 | 35 | 61 |
Lazio | 37 | 17 | 8 | 12 | 53 | 46 | 59 |
Napoli | 37 | 15 | 13 | 9 | 64 | 45 | 58 |
Inter | 37 | 17 | 7 | 13 | 57 | 52 | 58 |
Roma | 37 | 15 | 8 | 14 | 57 | 52 | 53 |
Parma | 37 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 53 | 53 | 53 |
Bologna | 37 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 41 | 42 | 51 |
Catania | 37 | 11 | 15 | 11 | 47 | 50 | 48 |
Atalanta | 37 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 40 | 40 | 46 |
Chievo | 37 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 34 | 45 | 46 |
Fiorentina | 37 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 37 | 43 | 45 |
Siena | 37 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 44 | 43 | 44 |
Palermo | 37 | 11 | 10 | 16 | 52 | 60 | 43 |
Cagliari | 37 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 37 | 46 | 42 |
Genoa | 37 | 10 | 9 | 18 | 48 | 69 | 39 |
Lecce | 37 | 8 | 12 | 17 | 40 | 55 | 36 |
Novara | 37 | 7 | 11 | 19 | 34 | 63 | 32 |
Cesena | 37 | 4 | 10 | 23 | 22 | 57 | 22 |
Top scorers
28 goals: Ibrahimovic (Milan).
23 goals: Cavani (Napoli), Milito (Inter).
22 goals: Di Natale (Udinese)
18 goals: Palacio (Genoa)
16 goals: Denis (Atalanta), Miccoli (Palermo).
Serie B
Crotone 3 - Nocerina 1
Empoli 1 - Vicenza 1
Juve Stabia 1 - Sampdoria 2
Livorno 0 - Sassuolo 0
Modena 2 - Grosseto 1
Padova 3 - Gubbio 0
Pescara 2 - Torino 0
Reggina 3 - Cittadella 3
Varese 4 - Ascoli 0
Tomorrow – 20.45
AlbinoLeffe vs Verona
Standings: Pescara 77; Torino 76; Sassuolo 74; Verona 73; Varese 68; Sampdoria 67; Padova 63; Brescia 57; Reggina 55; Juve Stabia 54; Modena 51; Crotone 49; Cittadella, Grosseto 48; Bari 47; Empoli, Ascoli 43; Livorno 39; Vicenza 38; Nocerina 37; Gubbio 32; AlbinoLeffe 25.