Serie A could be decided by play-off/pens

Could Serie A title be decided by a play-off?

Bologna's stoppage-time winner against Inter Milan on Sunday has teed up the prospect of a play-off to determine where the Serie A title could go this season.

"Our championship does not end here," Inter manager Simone Inzaghi said after the loss.

Inzaghi is right - leaders Inter Milan and second-placed Napoli, who are separated only by goal difference, still have five games left as they battle it out for the Scudetto.

However, the potential of a sixth fixture hangs on the horizon if they remain deadlocked after the 38-game campaign concludes.

Serie A re-introduced a rule in 2022 stating that if two teams competing for the title, or fighting relegation, finish level on points then they are required to meet in a play-off.
Goal difference would still play a role though with the team boasting the better record earning the opportunity to host the one-off tie.

If the play-off ends in a draw after 90 minutes - and both meetings between Inter Milan and Napoli this season have finished in that fashion - then the game goes straight to penalties.

 

If it gets down to the end of the season and it is tied, then good. It should be. Think it's preferable to winning purely on GD then GF to split the tie.

 

Think that's exactly how it should be decided. Could be a wild game.

 

aye I'm with you both, 'goal difference' and then maybe 'goals for' is a poor way to decide a title after 30-40 games, BUT, with any such play-off game going straight to penalties after 90 mins, penalties is also a poor way of deciding. Apparently they had the same play-off rule before but cancelled it in 2003 for GDiff/GFor, I wonder why they scrapped it and likewise what's the reasoning behind bringing play-offs back, really does seem a fairer way having two teams ACTUALLY playing each other for the title or to avoid relegation.

 

You'd be raging if you're the team sitting top of the table by a clear goal difference and then have to play a one off game like a cup final, the point is who is the best over the whole season not in a single game where anything can happen, why even bother tracking goal difference if it's not going to count for anything?

 

If goal difference isn’t counting, should that not then be the case for positions in the league also? What about if two teams are tied on points for the last CL spot, should that be a play-off?

 

I think a playoff is better than Goal difference

 

If head to head is the same, I think that must be the option when it comes with a prize like the CL spot.

It’s such a rare situation though. I wonder if it’s actually happened in Serie A before this. The exact same scores the two games to equal each other, and equal each other in the league. Usually the two games yes might get the same result for points wise, but the same goals as well?

Play off game in that situation is the fairest way. And what a way to grab a rare, rare on off situation to promote the league. I rarely watch that league, play off game to win the league with teams that evenly balanced? I’ll never miss that. Anyone who is a football fan probably won’t. The viewing numbers would probably rival a world cup final, these days with falling figures for the CL I’d bet it’d get more than the CL final.

 

In our league I agree but there’s lots of leagues and a culture that goal difference has never been a thing. If it happened here is +50 Huns +20, then yes, * furious.

As a neutral but? I’m desperate for this to happen.

 

Napoli 3 clear tonight and seen they have a easy run in,can't see it going any other way than winning outright.

 

Bologna won the league in 1964 against Inter in the only time it’s previously happened.

It was patched for years and then brought back around three years ago.

 

Going back a bit but the 1993 League of Ireland title was wild to say the least. I remember it well as I was in college in Cork at the time and the league ended in a 3 way draw between Bohemians who had the best goal difference, Shelbourne and Cork City. But the league had a rule the title could not be decided on goal difference so it went to a 3 way playoff so each team played the other home and away and remarkably after the series of 4 games everyone was level on points again. So the title went to another series of games this time though everyone only playing each other once. This time Cork City won both games and the title. So Cork City eventually winning the title but only after having played no less then 6 games after the season was finished.

1992–93 League of Ireland Premier Division - Wikipedia