Key events
Como 0-2 Inter
Paz, who looked rather decent, has been subbed off by his manager, Cesc Fabregas. Alessio Iovine, who announced his retirement from professional football this week, has come on for his final bow.
Napoli 2-0 Cagliari
Giovanni Simeone, son of Diego, is on as Lukaku’s replacement. Everyone fancies a goal. Cagliari are sat deep, too deep and giving up chances.
Napoli 2-0 Cagliari
Lukaku, Conte’s big summer signing – as well as McTom and Wee Billy Gilmour – leaves the field. Up in the stands, Don Antonio is still agonising. He has won the Scudetto in all but one of his completed seasons. He’s also won the Scudetto at the first time of asking, just as he did at Chelsea. Remember when he made a champion of Victor Moses?
Napoli 2-0 Cagliari
Feels like we are in the final throes, a 20 minute celebration. Scott McTominay is nailed on to be MVP, too, of Serie A. That would have seemed an outlandish prospect when he was growing up in Lancaster. At the end of his first football season on Earth, the winner was Roberto Mancini. The year after? Ronaldo.
Como 0-2 Inter
Beppe Marotta and Javier Zanetti look on from the Como stands. Bigger prizes are on offer next weekend but a failure to retain the title will hurt.
Napoli 2-0 Cagliari
Neres is laid up by a bulwarking run by Lukaku, and it takes a fine save from Sherri. Big Rom is fully enjoying himself now. That usually means he cannot be stopped. He’s 32 now but still got plenty left. Google AI tells me “Romelu Lukaku’s career spans 1118 games across various competitions.”
Can that be true?
Napoli 2-0 Cagliari
Off goes Politano, with David Neres coming on for the champions elect.
Como 0-2 Inter
Barella is coming on against his old club. This now has to be treated as a training run for Munich next Saturday. Bisseck, the Inter defender, has hurt himself in deflecting the ball. DiMarco goes off, and on comes Denzel Dumfries and another United legend in Matteo Darmian.
Napoli 2-0 Cagliari
The Diego Armando Maradona Stadium is rocking, ecstatic scenes. The Scott McTominay Stadium, as it will be called in the future.
Napoli 2-0 Cagliari
Lukaku was booked for his goal celebration. The goals scored by two players Manchester United willingly sold. It’s a funny old game, if you don’t despair of United. In Spain, Antony’s scored a goal for Betis tonight.
Justin Kavanagh gets in touch: “I know it’s got the same 1-0 scoreline in the corner of the screen, but is this the same sport as the chaos-ball thing we were watching on Wednesday night? There’s so much joined-up passing the round thing to a teammate?”
Goal! Como 0-2 Inter (Correa, 51)
Correa strokes in but the celebrations are muted. They scored almost at the same time as each other. Inter keeping their side of the bargain but so are Napoli.
Goal! Napoli 2-0 Cagliari (Lukaku, 51)
That’s the Lukaku we remember, blazing past defenders and crashing home. The former Inter man looks to have secured the title.
Napoli 1-0 Cagliari
It seems Antonio Conte has asked his team to be less frenzied and to hold on to it. Still, they have Lukaku in attack….
Como 0-1 Inter
Yann Sommer is facing a free-kick that Paz takes, only for the wall to do its job. Next, Como want a penalty as Vojvoda swings at a loose ball. Did it hit a hand? No VAR on the play.
Napoli 1-0 Cagliari
As Pepe Reina gets out of the shower in Como – not much hair to wash – Napoli are facing down a Cagliari corner.
The second half is here
There are 45 minutes left to decide the destiny of the Scudetto.
Karl Matthews gets in touch: “The Neapolitan singer songwriter Pino Daniele (1955-2015) is the guitar hero in the pic. All quiet here for now in Torre del Greco just down the coast from Naples.”
Fraser Pirie gets in touch: “20 years ago ‘the helicopter changed direction’ when a late Motherwell goal v Celtic handed the title to their rivals Rangers who were playing against Hibs in Edinburgh. Motherwell to Edinburgh is a considerably smaller distance than Como to Naples though. So where is the Scudetto trophy currently and what is the plan for a presentation?”
To two Scottish players?
Both halves will have lengthy amounts of time added on. VAR has played its part. Lot of arguing between the teams, too. Half-time is called in Naples, and in Como, Inter have bonus football to try and find another goal. Correa fires over but that’s it. Both teams lead 1-0, but Inter are playing Como, down to ten men after Reina’s red card.
Como 0-1 Inter
Reina leaves the field with sadness, and the Inter players come to wave him off, including Sommer who offered a huge hug. What a way to sign off. On comes Butez, his replacement as Caqueret is subbed off to bring on a keeper.
Pepe Reina sent off!
Como 0-1 Inter
VAR is in session, and just as slow. Did Pepe Reina foul Taremi outside the box? He did, a DOGSO trip. What an end to his career! Sent off!
Goal! Napoli 1-0 Cagliari (McTominay, 42)
Who else? The new Maradona, it’s Scott McTominay. An acrobatic finish like Bryan Robson at his sharp best.
Napoli 0-0 Cagliari
Oh, so close. Cagliari throwing man and body in front of the ball. Spinazzola shoots but Sherri is having the game of his life.
Napoli 0-0 Cagliari
Napoli corner, but Olivera heads back behind the goal.
Como 0-1 Inter
Sommer forced to make a smothering save. Como are not taking the biscotti, they fancy a piece of the action. Those time problems in Naples are likely to have their say in events.
Napoli 0-0 Cagliari
This VAR is taking an age. This is a crazy amount of time. Makoumbou awaits his fate. The VAR communication is jiggered. Time will be added on. Makoumbou and Politano’s bookings both stand.
Napoli 0-0 Cagliari
Tempers fraying in Naples. Both teams look to be winding up each other. Should Cagliari be a man down? Makoumbou threw out a forearm smash on Raspadori….could that be a VAR red? There’s been no play in many minutes.
Como 0-1 Inter
Paz shows off his chops with a neat turn and some skill to shoot wide.
Gary Naylor gets in touch: “Watching in a very partisan bar in Pisa, drinking Aperol Spritzes. It’s a hard knock life.”
Como 0-1 Inter
Vojvoda shows off his skills as Como’s attacking full-back; the ball goes back across goal to Strefazza.
Napoli 0-0 Cagliari
News has reached Naples. The panic of the first 20 minutes has an added frisson. The frenzy needs to calm down if Conte’s team are going to negotiate choppy waters. Lukaku has a shot, blocked by Yerry Mina, Everton legend.
Goal! Como 0-1 Inter (De Vrij, 20)
A corner comes in and the Dutch defender nods in. The dead ball comes to Inter’s rescue and Napoli have all the pressure on them.
Napoli 0-0 Cagliari
This is relentless from Napoli. Will they punch themselves out? Gilmour, McTominay, both have a dig as shots rain down. McTominay cuts across the box but had nobody to pass to in an onside position.
Como 0-0 Inter
Inter’s second string struggling with Como who look a tidy, decent side.
Napoli 0-0 Cagliari
Close again. Zambo-Anguissa gets to the byline and the goalkeeper Sherri stops the ball landing at the feet of Lukaku. Napoli want this job done now.
Napoli 0-0 Cagliari
Closest yet…Spinazzola sends away Gilmour, whose shot is saved….and Politano smashes the ball over the bar. Too impetuous.
Como 0-0 Inter
Como are having a lot of the ball….
Napoli 0-0 Cagliari
Conte’s team talk really asked his team to go on the offensive but Cagliari get the ball clear, and have a corner. That’s cleared, just about. McTominay’s defensive header does the job.
Napoli 0-0 Cagliari
Napoli corner, and the ball isn’t cleared. Raspadori, er, rasps his shot wide. Napoli have begun well.
Como 0-0 Inter
Early scare for Inter as Sonner is asked to make a save from Da Cunha. At the other end, Reina comes out to calm down some danger.
Napoli 0-0 Cagliari
Boos as the Sardinians pass the ball around. Christian Stellini is on the sidelines. You may recall him from Tottenham and his row with Roberto de Zerbi a couple of years back. Antonio Conte – banned from the sideline in a shock development.
And away we go…..
Long wait for those whistles but they go off at the same time.
Pepe Reina gave the team-talk for his final game. The two teams will kick off at the same time. Synchronise watches? Synchronise streams, too, please.
Inter have the Champions League final in mind, and so Bastoni and Barella are on the bench. If things change in Naples, then Inzaghi can always bring them on.
Nico Paz is presented with the under-23 player of the season award at Como. And Alessandro Bastoni is given Serie A defender of the year.
Dele Alli can be seen wishing the best to his teammates at Como in the dressing room.
Justin Kavanagh: “I never understood why Scott McTominay was sold from such a poor Manchester United squad so severely lacking in the competitive spirit he embodies every time he plays. And he has proved himself as the genuine article at Napoli. Hope he gets to relish a Serie A winner’s medal today.”
Agreed. United needed McTom in Bilbao.
Tim Smith gets in touch: “loving the photo of the vendors of Naples. Just checked the team sheets and they are missing out. Napoli have had Pope Leo in net and Lewis Hamilton up top! I can’t make out the musician with the guitar, but I hope they’ll be singing in the city tonight. A city like Naples needs this more than Milan, I think.”
Caledonia’s Simon McMahon gets in touch: “Gilmour and McTominay starting for Napoli and on the verge of winning Serie A is just insane, John. Really hope they do it, got the pizza and beers in, COME ON NAPOLI!!!”
Naples is getting game ready, too. Mathías Olivera is being given a penant for his 100th game. The sound of Live Is Life can be heard at the Diego Armando Maradona.
The setting of the game at Como is breathtaking. The players are warming up now, as the teams warm up. This is supposed to be Pepe Reina’s last game before retirement. As ever, Thunderstruck is pumping.
To further clarify, via permutations guru, ESPN’s Dale Johnson: “If the two teams finish on the same points — this will happen if Napoli lose and Inter draw — there will be a one-legged playoff, hosted by the club with the best goal difference (Inter), to decide the title.”
Anthony Richardson emails in: “An Inter draw with a Napoli loss would = a play off game, the league in Italy isn’t decided on goal difference! Napoli losing would leave them on 79 points, and an Inter draw would see them reach 79 points also.”
It goes without saying that Napoli’s bus, just arrived at the Diego Maradona was wreathed in smoke. Inter have safely made the short ride to Como, coached by Cesc Fabregas. Two Scotsmen going for the title with the current leaders.
Napoli v Cagliari starting teams
Napoli: Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Olivera, Spinazzola; Politano, Anguissa, Gilmour, McTominay; Raspadori, Lukaku
Cagliari: Sherri; Zappa, Mina, Luperto; Zortea, Makoumbou, Adopo, Deiola, Augello; Viola, Piccoli
Como v Inter starting teams
Como: Reina; Vojvoda, van der Brempt, Smolcic, Alex Valle; Caqueret, Perrone, Da Cunha; Paz, Douvikas, Strefezza
Inter: Sommer; Bisseck, De Vrij, Carlos Augusto; Darmian, Calhanoglu, Asllani, Dimarco; Correa, Zalewski; Taremi
Nicky Bandini set the scene on Monday.
Preamble
The best league in the world? Perhaps, you know. A revolving cast of title winners suggests a division in rude health. Though it has to be said that both Inter and Napoli have stumbled to the line. No matter, they have given us a final-day shootout. What needs to happen for either team to prevail – or as is remotely possible, face each other in a play-off.
-
If Napoli win, they are champions.
-
If Napoli draw, an Inter clinches the title
-
If Napoli lose, Inter could claim the title with a win or a draw.
Kick-off at Como and the Diego Maradona at 7.45pm UK time. Join me.
