'Dreamers' v quadruple-chasers - Scudetto showdown and crisis club derby set stage for Super Sunday in Serie A

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A huge weekend of live Serie A action is coming up on TNT Sports and discovery+, with Atalanta hosting Inter in a direct Scudetto battle, while Fiorentina face rivals Juventus with both sides in desperate need of a win. The two big games are back-to-back on Sunday, with the Bergamo clash marking a key moment in the title race and crisis-hit Juve coming off their worst home defeat since 1967.

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Serie A has never seen the like. With 10 rounds to go, it is still anyone’s guess what picture will form when this snow globe of a season settles in May.

From a three-way Scudetto scrap to a furious fight for European places and a tooth-and-nail relegation ruckus, it promises to be a run-in for the ages.

History has been made already. Ahead of last weekend's action, the six-point gap between the top four after 27 rounds was the smallest in the three-point era (since 1994/95), as was the 15-point distance between the top eight, according to Corriere dello Sport.

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Atalanta’s 4-0 demolition of Juventus on Sunday changed the picture, removing the Bianconeri from the title race and putting their top-four spot at risk in one fell swoop.

Another crucial juncture is coming up on Sunday, however, when a mouthwatering double-header - live on TNT Sports and discovery+ - could have huge implications.

Fiorentina host Juventus at 17:00 UK time in a battle between two crisis-hit clubs in desperate need of a win, before Atalanta have the chance to draw level with league leaders Inter when the two title chasers clash in Bergamo at 19:45 UK time.

Inter want 'quadruple' - but do they have the legs?

Inter began the season as favourites and remain so in the eyes of many. However, cracks in the armour have started to show recently as fatigue takes its toll on Simone Inzaghi’s overworked squad.

The Nerazzurri are still fighting on three fronts as they will face AC Milan in the Coppa Italia semi-finals and Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals in April.

It has already been a physically demanding period, with a wing-back crisis forcing Inzaghi to play centre-back Alessandro Bastoni on the left flank in recent weeks as injuries battered his squad.

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Mentally, the relentless fixtures have taken their toll too; Inter had to come back from two goals down to beat bottom side Monza 3-2 on Saturday and avoid the shock of the season. It was not a one-off; Inter's league lapses in the last two months have also included poor defeats to Fiorentina and Juventus and a fortuitous draw with Napoli.

However, Inter are top for a reason. They arguably boast a stronger, deeper squad than title rivals Napoli and Atalanta, and as defending champions, they know what it takes to finish the job.

If anything, Inzaghi has his mind set on much more than just the Scudetto. Asked about his earlier comments on winning a treble this week, he said: "I should’ve corrected myself again and said ‘quadruple’, because we’re in the running for the FIFA Club World Cup too at the end of the season."

'Dreamers' Atalanta have Inter blind spot

Atalanta are the fairytale contenders in the Scudetto race as Gian Piero Gasperini’s side chase the ultimate prize to crown a remarkable golden era in the club’s history.

"The fans must dream. We shouldn’t ever take those dreams away from them," Gasperini said when asked about Atalanta’s title hopes. "We have always said it is impossible. But if you believe in it strongly enough, things can become possible."

Momentum has certainly swung in La Dea’s favour. Their 4-0 humbling of Juve kept them just three points off top and continued a run of big away wins this season, having also thrashed Napoli 3-0 and beaten Roma 2-0.

Atalanta are the joint-top scorers in the division with 63 goals, capocannoniere-in-waiting Mateo Retegui leading the way with 22 strikes, while their exits from the Champions League and Coppa Italia mean all focus is now on a strong finish to the Serie A season.

Importantly, the very public spat between Gasperini and star forward Ademola Lookman has now seemingly been resolved, with a touchline hug in the Juventus game – where Lookman scored – followed by Gasperini praising a "fantastic player" who "can be captain before the end of the season."

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However, for all Gasperini's incredible work, facing Inter has proven to be his blind spot. The coach himself pointed out that Atalanta come into Sunday’s clash on the back of seven straight defeats to the champions, including a 4-0 thrashing at San Siro in August and a 2-0 Supercoppa Italiana defeat in January.

Atalanta haven’t beaten Inter since November 2018, a 14-match winless run, and the last seven losses have been by a 19-5 aggregate score. Their home form has also been remarkably patchy, with three draws and two losses in their last five games at the Gewiss Stadium.

If La Dea are to write some incredible new history, they will first have to put some ugly old history behind them.

'Sad' Juve in crisis mode after humiliation

A poor season got worse for Juventus on Sunday when Atalanta inflicted their heaviest home defeat since 1967.

Head coach Thiago Motta has come under increasing pressure as his debut season goes on, having struggled to imprint an identity on his side or get the best out of an underperforming group of players.

The Allianz Stadium was left half-deserted with 10 minutes still left to play against Atalanta and those who remained made their disapproval clear, a clear indictment of a season that has unravelled over the last month.

Juve’s extra-time defeat to PSV in the Champions League knockout play-off round was followed by a humiliating Coppa Italia quarter-final loss to a second-string Empoli side on penalties.

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However, five hard-earned wins in a row in Serie A reduced the gap to the top of the table to six points to raise the question of whether they could make an improbable title bid – only for those hopes to come crashing down spectacularly against Atalanta.

"We deserve this spot in the table, but the team has enormous room for improvement," Motta said.

"We are sad. Now let’s not talk about the Scudetto any more. It was a race that you [the media] put us into. We must think about Fiorentina."

The setback only increased the number of articles in the Italian press discussing Motta’s future and possible successors, and he will no doubt be feeling the pressure ahead of a trip to the hostile surrounds of Florence.

Now or never for Fiorentina revival

Fiorentina’s home support will be desperate for a result not only to get one over on their biggest rivals, but to get a flagging season back on track and resuscitate their European qualification hopes.

A flying start to 2024/25 led by superb summer signings like David De Gea, Robin Gosens and Moise Kean – the league’s second-top scorer – had them chasing the Champions League, but Raffaele Palladino’s men have been on a steady slide since the turn of the year.

La Viola welcome Juve on the back of four defeats in their last five league games, scoring just three goals in that time, a run that has left them in eighth and seven points outside the top four.

Thursday’s Conference League comeback against Panathinaikos provided a confidence boost, but will also test their endurance, with a quick turnaround to Sunday’s early-evening clash at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

This is a critical moment in Fiorentina's season. Palladino insisted that his players showed "great courage and character" in last weekend’s 2-1 loss to Napoli and suggested it could "boost our enthusiasm."

La Viola fans will hope he is right, because things do not get any easier after the visit of Juventus; Atalanta (H) and Milan (A) are next on the fixture list in a series of matches that could sink or save their season.

Stream the 2024-25 Serie A season live on TNT Sports and discovery+

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