(to be) Pipped at the post
Pipped at the post – This means to be beaten at the last moment; just before the end of the race or game. In football, we use this to talk about a team who loses the race to be champions at the last minute.
- Example: Man United were pipped at the post in the 2012-13 Premier League season
- Example: Inter were almost pipped at the post by Roma in the race for the Scudetto in Italy