Serie A Matchday 31: A statistical guide to this weekend's games

Will Evans

LiveScore

Antonio Conte's Inter Milan are marching towards Serie A glory

As Inter Milan maintain their march towards a first Scudetto in over a decade, the race for Champions League football continues apace in Serie A.

Four of Italy’s top five sides face off against each other on Sunday in what is set to be a decisive weekend in the battle for European qualification.

With crunch ties at both ends of the table, there is plenty to sink your teeth into as we get set for another exciting round of top-flight action.

And the good news is you can watch Antonio Conte's Inter tackle Napoli for FREE on the LiveScore app on Sunday evening.

Cagliari vs Parma (Saturday, 7.45pm)

Cagliari and Parma are in the last chance saloon and only a win will keep either team’s dwindling hopes of survival alive.

Saturday night’s relegation six-pointer could be a cagey affair, with both sides struggling to find the net this season.

Parma are Serie A’s lowest scorers with an average of 0.97 goals per 90 minutes, while their Sardianian hosts’ record of 1.03 goals per 90 also puts them in the league’s bottom three teams.

That is unsurprising when you look at their shot conversion rates.

Cagliari (9.3%) and Parma (9.5%) are among the division’s four least accurate finishers, along with Udinese (9.3%) and Benevento (9.4%).

Saturday's other games

Crotone vs Udinese (2pm)
Sampdoria vs Hellas Verona (2pm)
Sassuolo vs Fiorentina (5pm)

AC Milan vs Genoa (Sunday, 11.30am)

The chasing pack are closing in on second-placed Milan, so Stefano Pioli’s men cannot afford to drop points against mid-table Genoa at the San Siro.

But they will need to watch out for in-form striker Gianluca Scamacca.

The 22-year-old Sassuolo loanee has registered three goals and an assist in his last three matches, which is not bad for a player who had only scored twice in his previous 17 appearances.

Genoa are one of only two sides Milan have not beaten in Serie A this season, along with Atalanta, and the Rossoneri will be looking to put that right on Sunday.

AC Milan begin Matchday 31 11 points behind leaders Inter

Atalanta vs Juventus (Sunday, 2pm)

Just four points separate Milan in second from Napoli in fifth, with Juventus and Atalanta sandwiched in the middle of Serie A’s challengers for the Champions League spots.

The Bianconeri’s trip to Bergamo is sure to be one of the highlights of the weekend as Juve (2.7) and Atalanta (2.43) have created more big chances per 90 minutes than any other teams in Italy’s top flight this season.

Factor in the prolific form of star strikers Luis Muriel and Cristiano Ronaldo, with a combined total of 16 goals in their last 10 matches, and this one is set to be a classic.

The omens look good for Atalanta — Juventus have only beaten them once in their last six attempts across all competitions.

Torino vs Roma (Sunday, 5pm)

Draw specialists Torino have managed 12 single-point returns this season — more than anyone else — and need to start picking up more wins if they are to banish any relegation fears.

That will be easier said than done against a Roma side who are clinging on by their fingernails in the race for the top four and will be desperate for a victory to stay in contention.

Free-kicks and corners may be the Granata’s best route to success — no Serie A side has assisted more goals directly from a set-piece than Torino (0.17 per 90) in 2020-21.

Roma have won their last three games at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino but have never won four away matches in a row against Il Toro.

Roma are still dreaming of a top-four finish

Napoli vs Inter Milan (Sunday, 7.45pm)

Napoli are the latest team aiming to stop Inter from extending their nine-match winning run, knowing that a victory could send them into the top four.

Both clubs have kept 12 clean sheets this season (the most in Serie A) but also possess a vast array of attacking talent — only Atalanta (2.37) have scored more goals per 90 than Inter (2.3) and the Neapolitans (2.17).

Conte’s seemingly invincible outfit have beaten Napoli the last three times they have faced them in Serie A and will be looking to keep that run going in Naples.