Title races have been hard to come by in Europe’s Big Five leagues in recent times. Manchester City have won the last four Premier League titles in a row. Before Bayer Leverkusen won the Bundesliga last season, Bayern Munich had gone 11 straight seasons as German champions. Paris Saint-Germain have also won six of the last seven French titles.
Serie A, however, has been the exception to the rule. Italy’s top division has produced three different winners (Inter, Napoli and AC Milan) in the last three seasons. The 2024/25 campaign is shaping up to be least predictable in recent memory with just six points between the six teams at the top of the table.
As things stand, Napoli are currently setting the pace. Antonio Conte has remoulded Gli Azzurri in his own image since his appointment during the summer with new signings Romelu Lukaku and Scott McTominay already major contributors for the league leaders. And yet Napoli still have some problems to address.
While Napoli have undoubtedly made progress under Conte, they are struggling for firepower having scored just 21 goals in 14 league games. Lukaku and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia have 10 goals between them while McTominay and Giovanni Di Lorenzo have six goals as a pair. Beyond these four, though, not many have found the back of the net for Napoli this term.
Behind Napoli, Atalanta are emerging as the surprise package of the 2024/25 season in Serie A. Last season’s Europa League winners lost their best player in the form of Teun Koopmeiners over the summer, but Gian Piero Gasperini has taken his team to an even higher lever, largely thanks to the addition of Mateo Retegui.
Inter certainly can’t be discounted either. The defending champions are just four points off the top of the table with a game in-hand and boast the strongest squad in the division after three seasons of success under Simone Inzaghi. While Inter are stretching themselves by focusing so fully on the Champions League, they might still be Serie A’s best team on their day.
Meanwhile, Moise Kean is spearheading an unlikely challenge from Fiorentina who were rocked by the on-field collapse of Edoardo Bove during Sunday’s match against Inter. The on-loan Roma midfielder regained consciousness in the ambulance before reaching hospital and was “awake, alert and orientated” the following morning.
Lazio are up near the top of the Serie A table despite Sunday’s 3-1 defeat to Parma. Marco Baroni is putting his stamp on the Stadio Olimpico outfit and while a title triumph might be beyond the capital side, Lazio could qualify for the Champions League by finishing in the top four. That could be within their capabilities.
Juventus are going through an ideological transition under new manager Thiago Motta. The former Bologna boss is instilling new ideas at Allianz Stadium and it could take some time for them to take root. While Juve are having more possession under Motta, they are also struggling to kill off games, drawing eight of their 14 league games so far this term.
The relative parity between Serie A’s top teams is refreshing when comparing the division to other leagues around Europe. Manchester City might be dethroned as Premier League champions this season, but Liverpool are threatening to run away with the title. They currently have a nine-point lead.
Bayern Munich had to watch on as Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen won the Bundesliga title at a canter last season, but the Bavarians are once again leading the way at the top of the table. The Spanish title race also looks to be between the country’s two dominant forces, Barcelona and Real Madrid.
In Serie A, though, the title race could swing in a number of different directions. There will be twists and turns over the course of the campaign. Napoli, Atalanta, Inter, Fiorentina, Lazio and Juventus all have their strengths, but they also have flaws and that’s what could make the 2024/25 season a classic one.
