"Inter and Napoli - currently the main rivals for the title along with Roma - are still in the Coppa Italia and must complete the first phase of the Champions League. Potentially, by May, they could play 25 more league games, 12 Champions League games, four Coppa Italia games, and two Supercoppa Italiana games. That's 43 games in total in five and a half months. Milan will only play in the league and the Super Cup. Total: 27. That's a 16-game difference if Inter and Napoli reach the end."
"Sixteen games is something players feel in their legs. That's three more games a month, a total of 1,440 minutes of football. Put another way: exactly 24 hours of difference. In the coming months, Inter could end up playing 24 hours more than Milan, with logical consequences in terms of fatigue, injury risk, forced rotation and mental declines. It's a different world, and recent seasons explain their advantage."
"2024-25 season: Napoli 41 games played, Milan 55, Juve 55, Inter 63. 2023-24 season: Juve 43, Inter 49, Napoli 49, Milan 52. 2022-23 season: Napoli 49, Milan 52, Juve 56, Inter 57. The Scudetto twice went to the team that played the least, once (Inter 2023-24) to the second team in that regard. Allegri almost always played with his starters. Conte rotated mostly out of necessity and introduced Neres and Lang after their injury-ridden season."
Inter and Napoli remain involved in domestic cup and Champions League commitments, potentially adding up to 43 matches before season end. Milan will play only 27 matches including the Super Cup, creating a 16-game gap. Sixteen extra matches equal roughly 1,440 minutes or 24 hours of football, increasing fatigue, injury risk, rotation needs and mental decline for rivals. Recent seasons show teams with fewer matches often secured the Scudetto, while managers' rotation strategies and squad depth shaped outcomes. A lighter fixture list gives measurable competitive advantages across physical and tactical dimensions.
Read at SempreMilan
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