This year in Serie A the fight to avoid relegation is tighter than ever: many teams are close in points, many of which will face each other in the next round.

The Scudetto duel between Inter and Napoli, the Champions League battle that sees Atalanta and Juventus ahead of Bologna and Lazio, with Roma, Fiorentina, and Milan slightly behind competing for the Europa League and the Conference. This championship will be rich in battles until the last day and will bring surprises and changes in fortunes from one moment to the next. However, all this should not detract from the focus on the battle at the bottom, where numerous teams are fighting to avoid relegation.

From Hellas Verona to Empoli: 6 teams within 8 points for survival in Serie A

The fight for survival in this Serie A season is one of the most exciting and hard-fought in recent years. Mathematically, all teams in the bottom half of the table are involved. Torino and Udinese tied at 40 points, as well as Genoa with one point less, are destined to secure survival in the coming rounds. This weekend, Genoa will host Lazio and will want to take advantage of the challenge between Torino and Udinese.

At 36 points, there is Como, which is very close to achieving the objective. After a challenging first half of the season, thanks to the January transfer campaign and the great work of Fabregas, the performance has significantly improved: prestigious victories against Napoli and Fiorentina have made the entire city dream, hoping for further reinforcements in the summer to start having European ambitions from the next season.

From Hellas Verona onwards, there is a decrease of 2 points. The team is at 32 points and comes from 3 consecutive draws. In December, Zanetti seemed on the verge of dismissal, but the turning point was the double away victory first against Parma and then against Bologna. Since then, the team has only lost to the top teams (except for the victory against Fiorentina) and is proving difficult to break down, with only one goal conceded in the last 4 games.

At 30 points, there is a Cagliari team not in great form. In the last 8 games, they have only achieved a home victory against Monza, who are last in the standings, needing a change of pace to stay in Serie A. Two points behind Cagliari, there is a Parma revitalized by Chivu’s guidance: one victory, 5 draws, and only one defeat since the Romanian took over from the sacked Pecchia. The schedule is not favorable to Parma, but they have shown that they can compete on par even against the top teams.

Lecce, with 26 points, seemed to have turned a corner after the first outings under Giampaolo, who replaced Gotti. However, things did not go well afterward: only 3 draws and 6 defeats in the last 9 matches. Two points behind Lecce is Empoli, the team in the biggest crisis of the championship excluding Monza, the bottom team. Their last victory dates back to the 8th of December with a 1-4 win over Verona: since then, 12 losses and 5 draws in the league.

Venezia has caught up with the Tuscans in the standings, and while they struggle to win games, they manage to trouble every team they face. They have drawn with Lazio, Atalanta, and Napoli, lost by a single goal in matches where they deserved more, for example against Inter and Roma. Di Francesco has found the defensive solidity that he had rarely shown before, but the Venetians should be more clinical in front of goal, as the coach himself emphasizes several times.

Serie A, head-to-head matches in the relegation battle: keep an eye on Empoli-Venezia

The 33rd round will feature two very important matches in the relegation battle. In the first one, Como, despite the significant lead over the third-to-last spot, can definitively accelerate at home against a Lecce that would temporarily be the last safe team. Empoli-Venezia almost smells like a last resort. Tied at 24 points, both teams need the 3 points: the winner can still hope for survival, while the loser will have more than one foot in Serie B.

A look at the other teams involved in the fight to avoid relegation. Hellas Verona will visit a Roma team forced to win to stay in the Champions League race. The same goes for Cagliari, who will host a Fiorentina team with only one point less than the Giallorossi. Parma will face Juventus at home, revitalized by Tudor’s guidance and fresh from overtaking Bologna in fourth place in the standings.

A special mention for Monza, last with 15 points and never really in the relegation battle. This is evidenced by the double change of coach, with Bocchetti replacing the sacked Nesta, who was quickly reinstated when the damage seemed irreparable. The team will host Napoli, who is fighting for the Scudetto with Inter. In a couple of rounds, Monza risks being the first team mathematically relegated.

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