It was a weekend of meltdowns in Serie A as Napoli’s title charge appears to have ended, Inter’s champions league dreams faded away and tensions are rising at AC Milan.
Juventus appears on track to record another Scudetto after the Napoli’s star striker Gonzalo Higuain totally lost the plot against Udinese at the weekend.
Higuain has almost single-handily kept Napoli in the title race, scoring his 30th league goal of the season in Napoli’s 3-1 defeat which left them six points adrift of leaders and champions Juventus.
But the big news was not the defeat but fact that Higuain was sent off in the final quarter hour. The
Argentine striker was furious at the decision shoved referee Massimiliano Irrati, then had to be restrained by fellow players.
According to widespread reports Monday, Higuain now risks a “minimum” three-match ban which will end Napoli’s best title hope in more than a quarter of a century.
Red cards also ended Inter Milan’s faint hopes of qualifying for the Champions League next season as Inter threw away a 1-0 lead to lose at home to Torino. Roberto Mancini’s side took the lead through Mauro Icardi before enduring a miserable second half that saw defenders Miranda and Yuto Nagatomo sent off before Andrea Belotti scored the winner from the penalty spot.
Inter owner Erick Thohir had bet big that Inter would finish in the top three and reap the financial rewards of Champions League football next season. But the defeat leaves the Nerazzurri 8 points behind third place Roma with 7 games to go. Inter look assured of playing in the Europe League next season, but will that generate enough revenue to keep the wolves away from the club?
Things are not much better on the red side of Milan, as AC Milan look destined to miss out on European football again next season. Milan is currently 6 points behind Inter with champions-elect Juventus coming to the Sam Siro this weekend.
Milan lost 2-1 at Atalanta on the weekend and joint CEO Adriano Galliani and manager Sinisa Mihajlovic reportedly had a heated discussion with the squad over their late season collapse.
Milan did not win a single league game in March and have won only one of their last six league games.