The Serie A title race is set for a gripping conclusion on Sunday when leaders AC Milan head to Sassuolo and second-placed Inter Milan host Sampdoria.
Inter’s 2-1 defeat at Bologna on April 27 allowed Milan to move clear at the top of the table, but not by enough to avoid a final-day decider when their nearest rivals will have home advantage.
Still, matters are in the Rossoneri’s hands as they seek to end a wait of more than a decade to be crowned champions of Italy.
Will AC Milan win the Scudetto?
With one round of matches to go, Milan hold a two-point lead over city rivals Inter at the top of the table.
That means victory at 11th-placed Sassuolo would guarantee the title for Milan, who have reason to be confident after losing only once away all season in the league — a thrilling 4-3 defeat at Fiorentina in November.
Sassuolo have little to play for and have split wins, draws and losses equally across their 18 home games to date in 2021/22.
The fear for Milan is that although they enter the match with a two-point advantage over Inter, they are also 14 goals worse off than the Nerazzurri, so a fifth away draw of the season for Stefano Pioli’s men would allow Inter to snatch the title if they win.
Inter have the best home record in Serie A and host 15th-placed Sampdoria, who have lost 12 of their 18 away games this season and are certain not to be relegated.
Milan are unbeaten in their past 15 league matches, though, winning 10 of those games including each of the last five.
Of those 10 victories, five have been by the only goal of the game — a demonstration of the defensive nous that few sides have been able to overcome in recent weeks.
Though their team is packed with attacking quality, Milan have a gritty resolve that has served them well throughout the season. They always seem capable of producing huge wins when needed, as recent away victories against bitter adversaries Inter, Cagliari and Lazio have demonstrated.
Their propensity to grind out big results is mightily impressive. In spite of not being the most free-flowing of teams, Pioli’s side have shown they are capable of finding ways to get over the line. Now, they’re almost there.
Who do AC Milan and Inter Milan play on the final day?
| Fixture | Venue | Date | KO Time (UK) | KO Time (USA/Canada) | KO Time (Australia) |
| Inter Milan vs. Sampdoria | San Siro | Sun, May 22 | 4 p.m. BST | 11 a.m. ET | 1 a.m. AEST (May 23) |
| Sassuolo vs. AC Milan | Mapei Stadium | Sun, May 22 | 4 p.m. BST | 11 a.m. ET | 1 a.m. AEST (May 23) |
When was the last time AC Milan won Serie A?
You need to go back to the 2010/11 campaign for the last time AC Milan won the Scudetto, when they were under the stewardship of now-Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri.
Amassing 82 points, they finished six points clear of runners-up Inter, who won the treble under Jose Mourinho the season before. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Alexandre Pato and Robinho were joint-top scorers for the club in 2010/11 in Serie A, each managing 14 goals.
Interestingly, that was also their first Serie A triumph since 2003/04, taking their total Scudetto count to 18 — one fewer than Inter. Juventus, with 36 titles, are the only team ahead of the Milan clubs.
How many league titles has Zlatan Ibrahimovic won?
- Serie A: Six (2004/05, 2005/06 with Juventus (both revoked by Calciopoli), 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09 with Inter Milan, 2010/11 with AC Milan)
- Ligue 1: Four (2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16 with PSG)
- Eredivisie: Two (2001/02, 2003/04 with Ajax)
- La Liga: One (2009/10 with Barcelona)
Ibrahimovic has won no fewer than 13 league titles across his career, with his main source of glory being Serie A.
His first two came as part of Juventus’ title-winning side in 2004/05 and 2005/06, where he scored a combined 23 goals to help steer the Old Lady to two consecutive Scudetti.
Those honours were later revoked because of the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal that subsequently saw Juventus relegated to Serie B.
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The Swede then moved on to Inter, becoming a key part of their side and helping them to three consecutive titles. Ibrahimovic also earned three consecutive Ballon d’Or nominations during his time in blue and black.
After winning the 2009/10 La Liga title with Barcelona, Ibrahimovic returned to Italy, this time for AC Milan for a year, where he scored some important goals as the Rossoneri marched on to league championship success.
Ibrahimovic has also won four titles in France with PSG, alongside two Eredivisie trophies with Ajax in the early stages of his career. Could the 40-year-old be set to add another Scudetto to his envious list of major honours come the end of the campaign?