Predicting the winners & losers of Serie A's top 4 race

Serie A has been an absolute joy this season. Not many experts would have predicted Inter to brush aside all competition in their storming charge to their first Scudetto in 11 years, nor could we have anticipated quite how drastic Juventus' drop-off would be.

Aside from the usual suspects at the top, we have also been treated to an exciting relegation battle, which, following Cagliari's miraculous turnaround in form, appears to be going down to the wire.

But the main action is occurring just below Inter at the summit, and well above the plucky scrappers at the bottom. The race for the top four is truly where it's at. SSC Napoli, Atalanta, AC Milan, Juventus and SS Lazio are locked in a fierce race for Champions League qualification, and it's setting us up for a dramatic final two weeks of action.

All five teams have graced the top four at some stage, but with only three spaces left to fight for, two of these giants will be forced to watch on from the comfort of their sofas next year, before traipsing out for some Thursday night, Europa League action.

But who is going to clinch positions second to fourth by the time the final whistle is blown? With teams holding as many as two games in hand, it's far from a straight-forward prediction. We at 90min love a challenge, however, so we've given it a crack.

SSC NAPOLI

Current Position: 2nd

Remaining Fixtures:

Fiorentina (A)
Hellas Verona (H)

Total Predicted Points: 6

Currently second in the table, albeit having played a game more than everybody else, is Gennaro Gattuso's Napoli. I Partenopei have strung some fine form together in the final months of the season, and they now look a shoo-in to clinch a top-four spot.

The return to fitness of Victor Osimhen has been the catalyst behind their rise, and the recent 5-1 victory over Udinese speaks of a team brimming with confidence heading into crunch time. Gattuso has done a stellar job while under immense pressure this season, and we back Napoli to get the job done against tricky opponents Fiorentina and Hellas Verona.

So, they'll claim maximum points in our opinion, but it's still not enough to secure second place...

Predicted Finish: 3rd on 79 points

ATALANTA

Current Position: 3rd

Remaining Fixtures:

Benevento (H)
Genoa (A)
Milan (H)

Total Predicted Points: 9

That's because Atalanta are in the mix, and are doing what they always do: destroying teams in the final weeks of the campaign. La Dea's untouchable energy levels mean they can go the distance and then some in Serie A, and that'll be vital when they take on Benevento and Genoa in their next two matches.

Gian Piero Gapserini's men should blow the strugglers away, before facing what could be a mouthwatering Champions League shootout with Milan on the final day. We're predicting Atalanta to repeat what they did against the Rossoneri earlier in the season and pick up three points, bagging Champions League football for another year, and doing it in style, too.

Predicted Finish: 2nd on 81 points

AC MILAN

Current Position: 4th

Remaining Fixtures:

Torino (A)
Cagliari (H)
Atalanta (A)

Total Predicted Points: 6

As hinted, Milan's last game of the season could be a winner-take-all battle with Atalanta, and we don't fancy Stefano Pioli's men to turn over la Dea in her own backyard. However, I Rossoneri's other two clashes come against Torino and Cagliari - teams that were scrapping to stay in the league, although both appear to have already done enough to avoid the drop.

The pair have opened up a four-point gap on 18th-placed Benevento, and that should be enough to allow them to subconsciously take their foot off the pedal. Milan have got it all still to play for, but Sunday's 3-0 victory over Juventus felt like the moment all the momentum swung in their favour.

Perhaps the final day shootout won't be such a vital contest then, given the Old Lady's current woes...

Predicted Finish: 4th on 78 points

JUVENTUS

Current Position: 5th

Remaining Fixtures:

Sassuolo (A)
Inter (H)
Bologna (A)

Total Predicted Points: 5

These are dark, dark times to be a Juventus supporter. I Bianconeri are currently languishing in fifth place following the 3-0 hammering at home to Milan, and that result has left their fate lying well out of their hands.

Juve need to be firing on all cylinders, collect nine points from three tough matches and pray some of their rivals mess up along the way. However, we don't see Andrea Pirlo's side holding up their end of the bargain, coming up against a Europe-chasing Sassuolo and champions Inter, whose season could only be bettered by forcing enemies Juve to miss out on a top-four finish.

In any case, Andrea Agnelli's persistence with the Super League could see the former Italian champions banned from UEFA competition for the upcoming season, making this race particularly pointless. We didn't even want to play in your stupid little Champions League, anyway!

Predicted Finish: 5th on 74 points

SS LAZIO

Current Position: 6th

Remaining Fixtures:

Parma (H)
AS Roma (A)
Torino (H)
Sassuolo (A)

Predicted Total Points: 10

Lazio are very much the outsiders in this Champions League race, but given they boast two games in hand, it's impossible to rule them out just yet. Last weekend's shock 2-0 defeat to Fiorentina all-but killed their top-four hopes, but a maximum 12 points from their final four matches could be enough.

Not in our book, however. Between a fierce derby with Roma, and a tricky trip to Sassuolo on the final day, we see the Eagles slipping up at some stage. And even if they were to take 12 from 12, it still wouldn't get them over the line. A brief, one-year stint in Europe's elite competition for Lazio is the story here.

Predicted Finish: 6th on 74 points