The possibility of a playoff or even a penalty shootout to decide the Serie A title is becoming more likely with Inter Milan and Napoli level on points at the summit and just five rounds of matches remaining.
After 33 games, the top two are locked together on 71 points, and while defending champions Inter have a much healthier goal difference, this criteria will not come into play should they end the season level on points.
Italy’s league title has only been decided by a playoff on one occasion, back in 1964. Inter were involved, losing out to Bologna who claimed their last Scudetto with a 2-0 win at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
In 2005, the playoff rule was abandoned, with the title to be decided by the head-to-head record followed by goal difference if two or more teams ended level on points, but this never came into play.
A return to the playoff system came in 2022, but with Napoli winning by 16 points that season and Inter taking last season’s title with a gap of 19 points over second place, the change made little difference.
But now, with these two sides locked in battle, there may well be an even more dramatic finale to what has been an exciting Serie A season, with Atalanta leading at one time, and Inter spending most of the campaign playing catch-up.
Inter claimed top spot at the end of February, eventually stretching their lead to three points, but that all changed at the weekend.
Antonio Conte’s Napoli won 1-0 at bottom club Monza on Saturday and Simone Inzaghi’s tired-looking treble-chasing Inter lost to a late goal at Bologna on Sunday, as the season took yet another twist.
Should Inter retain their better goal difference, they would have home advantage in an eventual playoff, and if the game were to finish level after 90 minutes the match would go straight to penalties, with no extra-time.
The sides have met twice already this season, both games ending 1-1, so there is a real chance that the league title’s destination could be decided by a missed penalty and a goalkeeper may well become the hero.