Forty-eight hours on from the Scudetto party of the century in Naples, several nerve-jangling situations were still to be resolved going into Sunday’s Serie A finale.

Six games kicked off simultaneously, none of which were dead rubbers. With European spots to be decided and five teams at risk of ending the night in the final two relegation spots, there was a dizzying array of permutations in play.

Destination Calcio took a seat in the Stadio Olimpico for a clash between Lazio and Lecce that was make or bust for both sides.

The hosts had to win and hope other results went their way to have any hope of ending the season in the Europa or even Champions League while knowing they were still at risk of dropping out of the European spots altogether if they slipped up.

For that reason, the 55,000-strong crowd kept a close eye on how things were unfolding in Venice, Turin, and Udine, where Juventus, Roma, and Fiorentina were in action.

For Lecce, it was do or die. They began the night only above the drop zone on head-to-head over Empoli, knowing a shock win would secure their top-flight status, but a defeat – or even a draw – could sink them depending on other results.

The stage was, therefore, set for a nerve-jangling evening inside the iconic Roman arena and beyond. Every goal would count. Here is how it all panned out…

KICK-OFF

20:51: Incredible scenes at the Penzo as Venezia take a shock early lead against Juventus, Daniel Fila stabbing home from a cross to send the home crowd wild! The goal immediately moves the Lagunari above Empoli in the live standings, but they still need help from Lazio against Lecce. For the Biancocelesti or Roma, a goal would send them into fourth place as things stand.

20:53: Another big moment immediately arrives as Verona go in front at the Castellani. Suat Serdar’s strike puts a dent in Empoli’s survival hopes and has the Gialloblu cruising towards survival.  

21:05: News from Turin – Roma have a penalty! Dembele’s clumsy challenge on Saelemaekers gives Paredes a chance to send the Giallorossi into the Champions League spots from 12 yards…and he converts! As things stand, Ranieri’s men have leapfrogged Juve into fourth. Boos ring around the Olimpico at the news.

21:15: Juve draw level! This time it will count after Alberto Costa’s earlier effort was chalked off for handball. It’s a piece of magic from Yildiz, who ties his marker in knots before finding the far bottom corner. The Old Lady still need another goal to return to fourth, but it’s a huge blow for Venezia, who drop below Empoli into 19th again.

21:17: Lucca batters home his 12th goal of the season to put Udinese in front against Fiorentina. La Viola need a win and a Lazio defeat if they are to qualify for the Conference League again. With the half-hour mark approaching, only Lazio-Lecce and Atalanta-Parma remain goalless.

21:20: Juve have completed the turnaround! Venezia make a mess at the back and Kolo Muani is on hand to bury a shot home. The score appears on the Olimpico big screen to cheers from the away support, and Roman groans. It’s a goal that changes the table once again, with Juve jumping back above Roma into fourth.

21:23: The deadlock is broken in Bergamo. Maldini’s strike for an Atalanta side guaranteed to finish third puts the hosts ahead…and barely a moment after the replays stop, he scores another! Parma are in trouble but remain safe unless Lecce and Empoli turn things around.

21:29: Fiorentina’s hopes of a comeback are boosted by Bijol’s rash slide challenge earning him a second yellow card and reducing Udinese to 10 men.

21:31: A big goal at the bottom as Fazzini draws Empoli level against Verona at the Castellani. They still have work to do, but they are back in it.

21:32: Scenes in Rome! Just as Empoli think they have grabbed a lifeline, Lecce take a shock lead in the capital. Boos ring around a furious Olimpico as Coulibaly finds space in the box to fire past Mandas and send the yellow-and-red mass in the away end wild.

21:34: Disaster strikes for the Gialloblu! Only two minutes after their potentially season-saving goal, Pierotti is shown a second yellow card for a trip on Tavares, and Lecce will have to play the rest of the game with 10 men. They must hang onto this lead for dear life.

21:38: The half-time whistle is met with a chorus of boos at the Olimpico. The home crowd, who have only seen Lazio win once in their last 11 league games in a run stretching back to November, are understandably not happy with what they’ve seen on a night where their team simply has to win.

HALF-TIME

Incredibly, after 10 goals and two red cards, we are back to where we started.

Serie A half-time scores: Atalanta 2-0 Parma, Empoli 1-1 Verona, Lazio 0-1 Lecce, Torino 0-1 Roma, Udinese 1-0 Fiorentina, Venezia 1-2 Juventus

European race: 4. Juventus 70pts, 5. Roma 69pts, 6. Lazio 65pts, 7. Milan 63pts, 8. Fiorentina 62pts

Relegation battle: 15. Verona 35pts, 16. Lecce 34pts, 17. Parma 33pts, 18. Empoli 32pts, 19. Venezia 29pts

SECOND HALF

21:54: A huge cheer greets the news that Lazio’s super-sub-in-chief Pedro has entered the fray for the second half in place of the ineffective Isaksen. Can he light the touchpaper like he did at San Siro in that season-defining performance a week ago?

21:57: Fiorentina draw level in Udine, Fagioli firing home from the edge of the box. It nudges them above Milan into seventh in the Serie A table, but they still need one more goal to qualify for the Conference League at Lazio’s expense.

22:00: Parma are back in it in Bergamo, half-time substitute Hainaut lashing home a finish to make it 2-1 to Atalanta. The Gialloblu are in trouble – as things stand, one more Empoli goal would relegate them. They need to get level here.

22:04: Roma are making no mistake on Ranieri’s last night as manager; Saelemaekers is heading home to put them 2-0 up over Torino. Now, the Lupi will be praying for a Venezia miracle.

22:06: And they get it! Two minutes later, Haps draws Venezia level and sends the Penzo into pandemonium. It’s another huge goal, sending Roma back into fourth in the live table, but Eusebio Di Francesco’s side still need another goal and some favours elsewhere if they are to dig themselves out of this hole.

22:09: Another huge goal! Fiorentina have turned it around in Udine through Comuzzo and as it stands, Lazio are out of Europe entirely with La Viola pinching sixth spot! Here in Rome, the Biancocelesti have upped the tempo in their search for a goal against 10-man Lecce, but they are struggling in the final third.

22:11: Scrap that! Another twist in this rollercoaster evening as 10-man Udinese scramble home an equaliser through Kabasele, sending Fiorentina tumbling back out of the European spots and saving Lazio’s blushes as things stand.

22:20: Empoli are in deep, deep trouble. A goal from Bradaric restores Verona’s lead in Tuscany and leaves the home side doomed to the drop unless they can find two goals in the last 20 minutes.

22:22: Another huge goal in the relegation battle as Ondrejka draws Parma level against Atalanta. What a comeback from 2-0 to 2-2 in the second half from the Gialloblu, who will be safe if things stay as they are.

22:23: Penalty to Juventus! Could this be the final nail in Venezia’s coffin? Conceicao is tripped in the box and the referee points to the spot. Locatelli steps up…and sticks it in the top corner! It’s another massive goal, sending Juve into the Champions League in the live table and relegating Venezia from Serie A.

22:33: Kean scores! Could that be the goal that sends Fiorentina into Europe? With seven minutes to go, it will be as things stand. Palladino’s side rise into sixth, with Lazio huffing and puffing in their efforts to break down 10-man Lecce in front of an ever-more frustrated crowd.

22:42: Incredible from Parma! They have turned it around in the second half, Ondrejka sealing an extraordinary comeback to surely seal it in stoppage time – they are safe.

FULL-TIME

Two very different moods explode from the respective ends of the Olimpico. To my right, the Lecce end goes wild, red clouds of smoke erupting into the sky and limbs flying everywhere as the Salentini players sprint over to celebrate a stunning victory with the euphoric travelling support.

To my left, boos and jeers rain down on the Lazio players after another shocking home performance – one that leaves them facing a year without European football. The Biancocelesti didn’t have the quality to find a way past Wladimiro Falcone and once again failed to defend well – they are the only team not to keep a home clean sheet in Serie A in 2025. Lazio’s home run now stands at one win in 12 games. Questions will be asked of Marco Baroni after this embarrassing and damaging end to their campaign.

Elsewhere, it is somewhat remarkable to report that on a night where six simultaneous games produced 21 goals and three red cards, Fiorentina’s leapfrogging of Lazio was the only significant change in the table by the end of the night.

Juve held on to keep the fourth and final Champions League spot over Roma, despite being given a scare by brave Venezia, while Empoli flopping to a home defeat against Verona ensured they will join the Lagunari in Serie B next season.

Serie A results: Atalanta 2-3 Parma, Empoli 1-2 Verona, Lazio 0-1 Lecce, Torino 0-2 Roma, Udinese 2-3 Fiorentina, Venezia 2-3 Juventus

European race: 4. Juventus 70pts, 5. Roma 69pts, 6. Fiorentina 65pts, 7. Lazio 65pts

Relegation battle: 14. Verona 37pts, 15. Cagliari 36pts, 16. Parma 36pts, 17. Lecce 34pts, 18. Empoli 31pts, 19. Venezia 29pts