Napoli, the Scudetto is close. But Conte doesn't trust

Naples, May 19, 2025 - From a 2-2 bitter and worrying in terms of the fight for the Scudetto to another who, from a distance, smiles and perhaps inexorably directs the same towards his own cause: in the space of a week il Napoli first it doesn't go beyond the 2-2 at home against Genoa and then, while on stage at Tardini, collects the news of the same result found byInter with the Lazio. So, despite the Parma, also thanks to the help of the woods, you become an insurmountable wall, the top spot in the standings is safe at least until the next and decisive round, which of course the two rivals will play at the same time again Friday May 23 20.45: Neapolitans on stage at Maradona against a Cagliari fresh from the salvation celebrations and the Nerazzurri busy at the home of the surprising As an di Cesc Fabregas. Another evening for fearless hearts, as was the emotional swing of a Sunday evening for some with very strong tricolour hues and for someone else, instead, with the very bitter taste of yet another opportunity thrown away.  

An evening for strong hearts

  The protagonists are, in order, precisely Napoli e Inter. Both, for different reasons, seem to have fallen into the proverbial tennis elbow: the Azzurri, perhaps, are 'simply' afraid of winning a championship that started with very different expectations, while the team coached by Simone Inzaghi seems to have unconsciously set its sights on that for some time now Champions League and Saturday May 31 will propose the final act against the Paris Saint-Germain. Both rivals, united by the defections of important men, have arrived at the end of the championship with the handbrake on and with a performance that to define as limping is an understatement: all to the benefit of the spectacle (especially for neutrals) and of that play-off still possible and, if so, scheduled. Monday May 26. With 90 minutes to go in the championship, the festival of missed opportunities still sees the victory (so to speak) ofInter, which last night could have seriously compromised the remaining chances of prevailing in the long head to head with the Napoli, meanwhile stopped by a Parma tough and lucky. The woods, a pole and two crosspieces, to the Tardini they say no to Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Matteo Politano e Scott McTominay, without forgetting the chances created by the home team, still called upon to seek mathematical salvation in the last round of Serie AAt the triple whistle it is 0-0, but not before another thrilling moment and always for strong hearts: the returning David Neres earns a penalty, later revoked for a previous foul Giovanni Simeone, with the added farewell to the chance to unlock the match in extremis and earn something very similar to a match point. In the meantime, however, San Siro the sporting psychodrama of theInter against Lazio, not exactly unprecedented when there is a championship at stake that seems close. And so, even on an unlucky evening due to the incidents almost all against, Antonio Tale he finds himself lucky, as in a bit of an old football narrative when there is the Serie A and a tricolour in the air: the Napoli he is still the master of his own destiny and, with 90 minutes to go in the season, that's no small feat. As long as, of course, he makes the most of what hasn't been working lately.

Towards Cagliari, between afterthoughts, fears and hopes

  The thought thus returns to the first 2-2 of the recent series, the hostile one against the Genoa which had given new life to the Scudetto dreams of theInter. Against a carefree team and despite yet another friendly backdrop of a Maradona once again sold out, the Azzurri were not able to get the better of a calm and already safe team, as could also be the case Cagliari in the next round. Hence the belief, between satiated and content opponents and aInter in turn perhaps with his mind already elsewhere, which perhaps at Napoli there is really only one rival left on the road to the fourth scudetto: himself. Also for this reason, which goes far beyond simple superstition, Tale preach calm in what will be a (short) week of passion towards the final act. According to the coach, it is forbidden for the fans to start displaying banners and preparing the celebrations: first they will have to beat the Cagliari and recent history teaches that the issue could be something more than a mere matter to be dealt with. But in what guise will the rossoblù present themselves at the Maradona? It is well known that, once the seasonal objective has been reached, teams often, even unconsciously, loosen the tension and perhaps even switch off. Just like the presence in the squad of some former Italian players (from Sebastian Lupert a Elia caprile, passing through l'enfant du pays Gianluca gaetano to Leonardo Pavletti) might make you think of a soft approach, but these conspiracy theories, although very widespread in Italian football, often backfire, in addition to not doing justice to the spectacle that fans hope to see every Sunday. Better, therefore, to think only about the pitch, also chasing away thoughts of the opposite meaning that see Sardinian fans pushing their favourites for the feat of taking the Scudetto away from Napoli. Yes, the Napoli, after yesterday evening almost incredibly still master of his destiny despite the slow progress of the last few days. In the absence of goals from their favorites, between sterility, imprecision and a good pinch of bad luck, the Azzurri 'score' thanks to the Lazio player Pedro, author of a brace with enormous specific weight not only for his team, still fighting for a European position, but also in the fight for the Scudetto. The Azzurri, who in the last few weeks, those of the slowdown, have received several external assists, have the task of completing the work in the last battle, the one that from this morning also has a date: Friday May 23 il Maradona he will push his favourites in search of that good victory to win the tricolour and to do it without the anxiety of having to look at home affairs Inter. Not a little.

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