Napoli ready to party despite delay in clinching first Serie A title for 33 years

Naples has been planning its scudetto party as best it can. Historians might point out that the city, impatient these last few days for its raucous celebration, has learnt long and hard how to wait.

It is 33 years since Napoli were last champions of Italy’s Serie A, but so large is the lead they have built up at the top of the table that even by November, the light-blue bunting was being readied for display.

The difficulty for everybody concerned with keeping under control the explosion of joy that will greet the official sealing of the title, is that however hard they try to choreograph the moment, the final step has been devilishly hard to forecast.

Somehow a team defined by their impeccable momentum have found a way to defy the schedulers with all the mazy unpredictability of a Khvicha Kvaratskhelia dribble.

On Tuesday, in anticipation of Napoli – beaten just three times in their 32 league matches so far – collecting the single point they need to confirm the title at Udinese, there were still talks going on between mayors, police chiefs and club presidents about whether to change Thursday's kick-off time.

They decided against. Udine is 850 kilometres north of Naples, but celebrations will still take over its streets if Napoli cross the finishing line there. The party could even start on Wednesday if second-placed Lazio fail to win against Sassuolo, leaving the Rome club too far behind the soaraway table-toppers to catch up in the five fixtures left.

At the weekend, Lazio had obliged Napoli by throwing away a lead at Inter Milan, and losing 3-1. Napoli’s home game against Salernitana, where a win would have sufficed, had been rescheduled at short notice to follow Inter-Lazio, and so set up a fitting climax for the