We have only just entered the final month of the Serie A season, but the league title was officially decided this weekend as Inter Milan claimed their 20th Scudetto.
Simone Inzaghi’s men wrapped up the championship in exactly the way they would have wanted, beating arch-rivals AC Milan 2-1 on Monday night.
Inter’s early coronation has in part been due to Juventus’s collapse in the second half of the season, and they were held to a 2-2 draw on Friday by relegation-threatened Cagliari.
Meanwhile, Bologna took a giant step towards Champions League qualification as they picked up an impressive 3-1 win at Roma, as Atalanta and Lazio also secured victories to remain in pole position for European football next season.
Mail Sport’s Alvise Cagnazzo takes a look at 10 things we learned from this weekend’s Serie A action…
Inter Milan claimed their 20th Italian title on Monday night by beating arch-rivals AC Milan
Inter’s smart work in the market key to title triumph
There has never been real uncertainty: Inter were always destined to win this year’s Scudetto.
As early as September, Inter gave the clear impression of playing a championship different from that of the other teams, obtaining an incredible series of results, shattering every statistical record.
The spine of their team that includes Yann Sommer, Alessandro Bastoni, Nicolo Barella and Lautaro Martinez has given the club the foundation to dominate from the outset.
Inzaghi’s team wrapped up the title on Monday through goals from Francesco Acerbi – the trusted centre back that shows no signs of slowing down – and Marcus Thuram, who has proved to be the ideal replacement for Romelu Lukaku.
Inter CEO Beppe Marotta used the summer transfer market smartly, making free transfers rather than splashing the cash to build a squad that Inzaghi could take to the next level.
His strategy has paid off, and now Inter can enjoy the final weeks of the season with all the pressure lifted off them.
Francesco Acerbi is now 36 but is still going strong and scored Inter’s opener against Milan
Marcus Thuram also got on the scoresheet, and he has been the perfect replacement for Romelu Lukaku
Allegri must accept blame for Juventus’ struggles
Two goals conceded in six minutes, a total abandonment of the game, no physical duels won, zero shots on goal in 45 minutes, and an inability to make three consecutive passes. Juventus really were that…