Two-Team Serie A Title Race Seems More Likely After Napoli And Milan Stalemate

In an attempt to drum up interest in the Serie A title race a few years ago, Italian newspapers brought back the fabled ‘sette sorelle’ (seven sisters) tagline that was given to teams in the 1990s who could realistically challenge for the title.

Back then, there legitimately were seven sides who could contest the Scudetto. As always, there was the big three of Juventus, Milan and Inter, with the rest made up of Roma, Lazio, Fiorentina and Parma. In the modern era, Parma was replaced by Napoli and Fiorentina were sacrificed for Atalanta, who were at their peak under Gian Piero Gasperini.

In terms of the 2023-24 title race, it increasingly feels like a two sister race, ever more so in the wake of Napoli’s 2-2 draw with Milan in Naples on Sunday night.

In what was a pulsating encounter — one of the best in the league this season — the two teams effectively took much-needed points away from one another, in a stalemate that favored no one. The Serie A table now sees Inter sit atop the mountain, with Juve in second two points behind, with Milan a further thee points back.

Napoli, reigning Serie A champions after a gap of 33 years, are already seven points away from reclaiming their throne, the Scudetto retention already seemingly gone as they continue to struggle under new coach Rudi Garcia.

Napoli have been spectacularly underwhelming since Luciano Spalletti left in the summer, and club president Aurelio De Laurentiis has made a series of blunders that has undermined the club’s ability to retain their title. Milan, meanwhile, have been hit with a series of injuries to their squad, and many of their new signings are yet to hit the ground running, and their dependency on Rafael Leao still makes them a predictable force.

Even in this early stage of the campaign and with 28 games still left to play, it seems likely that we are witnessing a Inter-Juventus title challenge. Inter have the best squad in Serie A and Simone Inzaghi looks to be finally turning his cup specialists of the last few years into grinding out league results. Inzaghi is missing a league title on his CV, and this could finally be the year in which the ex-Lazio player clinches his reputation as one of the best coaches in the country.

Inter are a much more dynamic force this season with the signing of Marcus Thuram, with the French striker replacing the less mobile Edin Dzeko in attack, and Thuram has formed a good partnership with Lautaro Martinez already. Andre Onana hasn’t been missed in the Inter goal, and the likes of Milan Skriniar and Marcelo Brozovic have been adequately replaced.

Juve, on the other hand, lack the experience of Inter in terms of players, yet have a coach in Massimiliano Allegri who has seen and done it all during his first spell with the Bianconeri. Juve’s biggest trump card is that they have no European football this season, and so Allegri has a week to prepare in between matches. Juve aren’t a pretty watch, but no one can refute that Allegri doesn’t know how to get results, and one game per-week is perfect for a Juve side a little light in terms of depth, but that has a solid starting XI.

Due to Inter’s squad and Juve’s lack of European football, it’s difficult to see both dropping out of the title race. With Milan and Napoli both going through their own issues, it does feel like there are only two horses left in the race, and we could be seeing shades of 1997/98, when the two went toe-to-toe every week, with Ronaldo and Alessandro Del Piero at the pinnacle of their mighty powers.

If it ends up being half as dramatic as that campaign, then we’re in for a treat.