Serie A: the results that Napoli need to secure the title this weekend

Napoli stand tantalisingly close to sealing their first Serie A title in over thirty years following the results of matchday 31. But what exactly do they need from the upcoming round of fixtures in order to win the Scudetto?

The Partenopei bounced back from their midweek European disappointment to beat Juventus 1-0. In a controversial fixture on Sunday night, Giacomo Raspadori got the decisive goal during injury time to defeat the Bianconeri.

However, Juve will feel hard done by with this result. Firstly, Angel di Maria thought he had scored the opener in the 84th minute before VAR intervened. Following a check, the officials decided that Arkadiusz Milik had committed a foul in the build-up, therefore disallowing the Argentine’s goal.

But the talking points did not stop there. In the attack prior to Napoli’s goal, Juventus will think they could have had a penalty. Juan Jesus made slight contact with Juan Cuadrado in full flight, sending the Colombian falling to the turf. Despite this, the referee decided this was not a penalty.

Napoli thus went down the other end, where Raspadori fired home the winning volley.

This 1-0 win sees Napoli extend their lead in Serie A to 17 points. On Saturday, second-place Lazio suffered their first defeat in eight league games when they lost to Torino. This surprising result has thus opened up an opportunity for the runaway leaders.

How Napoli can win Serie A next weekend

A historic Scudetto is well within the grasp of Luciano Spalletti’s side. There are seven matches left in the 2022/23 campaign, meaning a maximum of 21 points available. So, if Napoli win against Salernitana on 29 April they will reach 81 points.

Lazio (currently on 61 points) will then need to beat Inter Milan the following day. But, if the side from Rome fails to win against Inter, then Napoli will have a minimum 19-point advantage at the top of the table. And, with six games (18 points) left, this will be enough to give the Partenopei that long-awaited title.

In sum, if Napoli beat Salernitana, and Lazio fail to win against Inter, then Luciano Spalletti’s squad lifts the Serie A title. Simple!

Napoli’s head coach is not celebrating until their status is confirmed, though.

Spalletti: “We still have a little way to go”

Addressing the media in the wake of his side’s last-gasp win in Turin, the Italian stayed pragmatic.

“We need to wait before we pop any bottles because we still have a little way to go,” he said, via BBC Sport. “They [Juventus] played really well. It wasn’t easy [for us] to do that so soon after being knocked out of the Champions League. I don’t think we could have done any more tonight.

“It’s obviously very satisfying to be here,” reflected Spalletti as he nears the Scudetto. “It has been a tougher road here for me than others who began from a higher level. For instance, those who earned respect from their playing careers and had the opportunity to lead a top team from the start.”

The last time they faced Salernitana, Napoli ran out as comfortable 2-0 winners. They will hope for a similarly straightforward match on Saturday before seeing the outcome of Lazio vs Inter.

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