Napoli hold edge in Serie A s grand finale

Napoli may be stumbling towards the finish line following back-to-back draws, but they remain in pole position ahead of Inter Milan going into their final Serie A matches on Friday.

With 90 minutes left in the season, Napoli hold a one-point advantage over Inter after a campaign in which the two teams have regularly swapped places at the top of the standings.

Napoli host a Cagliari side safe from relegation, while Inter face a tough test at in-form Como who are unbeaten in their last eight matches.

The odds favour Napoli, with league president Ezio Simonelli due to be in Naples with the trophy ready for a potential coronation.

Napoli coach Antonio Conte is almost certain to be without midfield anchor Stanislav Lobotka, leaving the engine room duties to Scotlands Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay. At the back, injuries have ruled out Juan Jesus and Alessandro Buongiorno.

Inter boss Simone Inzaghi faces a raft of tough selection calls - and like Conte will be forced to watch the season finale from the stands due to a touch-line ban.

With the Champions League final looming and key players Lautaro Martinez and Davide Frattesi still short of full fitness, Inter may be forced to keep both on the bench or leave them out altogether.

FOURTH PLACE

The race for the final Champions League spot remains intense. Napoli, Inter and Atalanta have qualified and Juventus occupy fourth place, one point clear of AS Roma and two points ahead of Lazio.

Juventus, who need a victory to be sure of Champions League qualification, should be good enough to overcome second-bottom Venezia when they meet on Sunday.

Juve will likely be without injury-plagued midfielder Teun Koopmeiners while Nicolo Savona, Pierre Kalulu and Khephren Thuram all return from suspension.

Roma will say farewell to coach Claudio