The Serie A season is entering its home stretch, as Milan look to wrap up the Scudetto.
Round 34 of Serie A could be the decisive one for the Scudetto. If Milan are to beat Brescia, and Napoli drop points against Palermo, the Rossoneri will have one hand on the Scudetto.
Inter are not out of the Scudetto race despite being eight points behind the leaders, and they come up against Lazio in a game that will be crucial for the Biancoceleste's Champions League ambitions.
Meanwhile, Roma battle with Chievo, while Juventus welcome Catania in the other key games of the round. The relegation struggle intensifies, as Cesena, Brescia, Lecce, Parma and Sampdoria look for three points in their encounters.
Roma's 1-0 loss to Inter in the Coppa Italia semi-final mid-week was a timid surrender that put Mirko Vucinic in the spotlight again.
Vucninic missed a golden opportunity to make the score 1-0 very early on by bizarrely tangling himself over the ball. That miss came after his shocking miss last weekend against Palermo, which was even more egregious.
Luckily, Francesco Totti will be starting this game alongside Vucinic, and given the captain's irresistible form, Vucinic may learn a few things.
There was also tension at Roma this week. Coach Vincenzo Montella was involved in a vehement argument with Jeremy Menez during training. Roma have to set things right against Chievo with a win.
Chievo have done reasonably well lately, sitting on 39 points, seven points above safety. A draw would suit their purposes.
Prediction: Roma 0-0 Chievo
Lecce have collected seven points out of their last three games. That haul could be the deciding factor in their bid to stay in Serie A. Up against a Genoa side with nothing to play for, Lecce could record another victory, which would move them to 38 points.
Davide Di Michele will spearhead the Lecce attack, while Mesbah and Olivera sill be the supporting cast behind him.
Floro Flores has been a prominent addition to Genoa, and he may spoil Lecce's party.
Prediction: Genoa 1-1 Lecce
Napoli had won four in a row before their loss to Udinese last weekend, but they will have to bounce back at the Renzo Barbera.
This Southern derby will offer much in the way of heat and tension, but the game means much more for Napoli than Palermo.
Edinson Cavani returns to face his former club knowing that a loss in this game could all but end Napoli's title hopes.
They lie six points behind Milan, with five games left to play in the season. Napoli will be hoping Javier Pastore and co. will not dent Napoli's hopes.
Prediction: Palermo 1-1 Napoli
Bari have no hope of staying in Serie A, but they may take Sampdoria down with them with a win.
Winless in five, Sampdoria's season has gone off the rails. The demise has not even been spectacular. Week in and week out Sampdoria have provided dismal viewing. A loss to Bari could mean Serie B for the club given how poor their form is currently.
Indeed, if Sampdoria do not win these types of games, it is difficult to see which games they will win.
Prediction: Bari 0-1 Sampdoria
Inter got within a whisker of top spot when they were trailing only two points to Milan. However, a 3-0 defeat to their eternal rivals, and a surprise 2-0 loss to Parma last weekend has meant an eight-point gap separates them from Milan.
The race in Serie A has been so closely contested this season that a Lazio win on Saturday will mean that the Biancoceleste will be level with Inter on 63 points.
This game has always aroused suspicion due to the affinity between the two clubs, but cynics will do well to remember the 4-2 loss that Inter suffered in 2002 at the hands of Lazio, a loss that effectively ended their Scudetto hopes on the final day of the season. Ronaldo's effusive tears that day have become a haunting memory for the Nerazzurri faithful. Further, Lazio have all to play for given how close they are to sealing a Champions League spot.
Wesley Sneijder will line up behind Giampaolo Pazzini and Samuel Eto'o in Saturday's game, and Lazio will field Sergio Floccari as a lone striker. Having won their last two games, Lazio will be the more confident of the two side, albeit Inter did record a 1-0 Coppa Italia win over Roma mid-week.
Prediction: Inter 1-1 Lazio
Fiorentina's 0-0 draw with Juventus last weekend was an anti-climax to a game that has always evoked fervent emotions. Against Cagliari, if Fiorentina were to lose, it would be hard to see Sinisa Mihajlovic in this job next year.
It is not that the Viola have had a disastrous campaign, but it has been a campaign to forget for its mediocrity, its inability to get off the ground, even when it promised to do so.
There has been a distinct inability on the part of Fiorentina to put together a decent run of results that would galvanize them and take them out of mid-table obscurity.
To put their season in perspective, consider that their opponents Cagliari sit a point above them. This game will be crucial for Fiorentina's self-esteem.
Prediction: Cagliari 1-2 Fiorentina
Francesco Guidolin's Udinese defeated Napoli last weekend despite being without the star duo of Antonio Di Natale and Alexis Sanchez through injury. Sanchez is expected to return against Parma, but Di Natale will still sit out.
Parma were spiraling downhill with two losses in a row, but they managed a win last weekend. That win, however, raised them only three points above relegation, so they will try to get points off a difficult Udinese side, who themselves are vying for the last Champions League spot.
Prediction: Udinese 2-0 Parma
Bologna have practically assured themselves of safety, but Cesena are still hovering over the drop zone, with only Sampdoria between them and Serie B.
A win for Cesena and a loss for any of the other relegation battlers will change the complexion of the Serie A table dramatically. A keen contest awaits.
Prediction: Bologna 1-2 Cesena
Massimiliano Allegri has opined that this game is one of the most important ones of the season. Even if Brescia are not the side to instill fear in Milan hearts normally, they are playing for survival, and it is precisely that desperation that can make a difference.
Milan will not want to let complacency creep in because dropped points against Brescia could make their last two games against Udinese and Roma decisive for the Scudetto. A win against Brescia will ease the tension considerably.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is still suspended for his outburst against the referees, and Pato is out injured. That means that Antonio Cassano and Robinho will start for Milan in attack.
Kevin-Prince Boateng will be the playmaker behind them and Clarence Seedorf, who is in stunning form, will provide further creativity behind Boateng. Alessandro Nesta is expected to miss the game through injury.
Prediction: Brescia 1-2 Milan
Even though Juventus have won their last three games, they are still eight points behind Lazio in the race for the final Champions League spot.
It may be a little too late for Juve now, but nonetheless a win against Catania will keep them in contention for the Champions League.
Alessandro Del Piero and Alessandro Matri will be the strike-pair for Juventus.
Striker Maxi Lopez will be the sole striker for Catania, and if he puts in a worthy performance against Juventus, Catania could take a huge step in avoiding relegation.
Currently, they sit precariously on thirty-six points, just four points above relegation.
Prediction: Juventus 1-0 Catania
Inter are not out of the Scudetto race despite being eight points behind the leaders, and they come up against Lazio in a game that will be crucial for the Biancoceleste's Champions League ambitions.
Meanwhile, Roma battle with Chievo, while Juventus welcome Catania in the other key games of the round. The relegation struggle intensifies, as Cesena, Brescia, Lecce, Parma and Sampdoria look for three points in their encounters.
Roma's 1-0 loss to Inter in the Coppa Italia semi-final mid-week was a timid surrender that put Mirko Vucinic in the spotlight again.
Vucninic missed a golden opportunity to make the score 1-0 very early on by bizarrely tangling himself over the ball. That miss came after his shocking miss last weekend against Palermo, which was even more egregious.
Luckily, Francesco Totti will be starting this game alongside Vucinic, and given the captain's irresistible form, Vucinic may learn a few things.
There was also tension at Roma this week. Coach Vincenzo Montella was involved in a vehement argument with Jeremy Menez during training. Roma have to set things right against Chievo with a win.
Chievo have done reasonably well lately, sitting on 39 points, seven points above safety. A draw would suit their purposes.
Prediction: Roma 0-0 Chievo
Lecce have collected seven points out of their last three games. That haul could be the deciding factor in their bid to stay in Serie A. Up against a Genoa side with nothing to play for, Lecce could record another victory, which would move them to 38 points.
Davide Di Michele will spearhead the Lecce attack, while Mesbah and Olivera sill be the supporting cast behind him.
Floro Flores has been a prominent addition to Genoa, and he may spoil Lecce's party.
Prediction: Genoa 1-1 Lecce
Napoli had won four in a row before their loss to Udinese last weekend, but they will have to bounce back at the Renzo Barbera.
This Southern derby will offer much in the way of heat and tension, but the game means much more for Napoli than Palermo.
Edinson Cavani returns to face his former club knowing that a loss in this game could all but end Napoli's title hopes.
They lie six points behind Milan, with five games left to play in the season. Napoli will be hoping Javier Pastore and co. will not dent Napoli's hopes.
Prediction: Palermo 1-1 Napoli
Bari have no hope of staying in Serie A, but they may take Sampdoria down with them with a win.
Winless in five, Sampdoria's season has gone off the rails. The demise has not even been spectacular. Week in and week out Sampdoria have provided dismal viewing. A loss to Bari could mean Serie B for the club given how poor their form is currently.
Indeed, if Sampdoria do not win these types of games, it is difficult to see which games they will win.
Prediction: Bari 0-1 Sampdoria
Inter got within a whisker of top spot when they were trailing only two points to Milan. However, a 3-0 defeat to their eternal rivals, and a surprise 2-0 loss to Parma last weekend has meant an eight-point gap separates them from Milan.
The race in Serie A has been so closely contested this season that a Lazio win on Saturday will mean that the Biancoceleste will be level with Inter on 63 points.
This game has always aroused suspicion due to the affinity between the two clubs, but cynics will do well to remember the 4-2 loss that Inter suffered in 2002 at the hands of Lazio, a loss that effectively ended their Scudetto hopes on the final day of the season. Ronaldo's effusive tears that day have become a haunting memory for the Nerazzurri faithful. Further, Lazio have all to play for given how close they are to sealing a Champions League spot.
Wesley Sneijder will line up behind Giampaolo Pazzini and Samuel Eto'o in Saturday's game, and Lazio will field Sergio Floccari as a lone striker. Having won their last two games, Lazio will be the more confident of the two side, albeit Inter did record a 1-0 Coppa Italia win over Roma mid-week.
Prediction: Inter 1-1 Lazio
Fiorentina's 0-0 draw with Juventus last weekend was an anti-climax to a game that has always evoked fervent emotions. Against Cagliari, if Fiorentina were to lose, it would be hard to see Sinisa Mihajlovic in this job next year.
It is not that the Viola have had a disastrous campaign, but it has been a campaign to forget for its mediocrity, its inability to get off the ground, even when it promised to do so.
There has been a distinct inability on the part of Fiorentina to put together a decent run of results that would galvanize them and take them out of mid-table obscurity.
To put their season in perspective, consider that their opponents Cagliari sit a point above them. This game will be crucial for Fiorentina's self-esteem.
Prediction: Cagliari 1-2 Fiorentina
Francesco Guidolin's Udinese defeated Napoli last weekend despite being without the star duo of Antonio Di Natale and Alexis Sanchez through injury. Sanchez is expected to return against Parma, but Di Natale will still sit out.
Parma were spiraling downhill with two losses in a row, but they managed a win last weekend. That win, however, raised them only three points above relegation, so they will try to get points off a difficult Udinese side, who themselves are vying for the last Champions League spot.
Prediction: Udinese 2-0 Parma
Bologna have practically assured themselves of safety, but Cesena are still hovering over the drop zone, with only Sampdoria between them and Serie B.
A win for Cesena and a loss for any of the other relegation battlers will change the complexion of the Serie A table dramatically. A keen contest awaits.
Prediction: Bologna 1-2 Cesena
Massimiliano Allegri has opined that this game is one of the most important ones of the season. Even if Brescia are not the side to instill fear in Milan hearts normally, they are playing for survival, and it is precisely that desperation that can make a difference.
Milan will not want to let complacency creep in because dropped points against Brescia could make their last two games against Udinese and Roma decisive for the Scudetto. A win against Brescia will ease the tension considerably.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is still suspended for his outburst against the referees, and Pato is out injured. That means that Antonio Cassano and Robinho will start for Milan in attack.
Kevin-Prince Boateng will be the playmaker behind them and Clarence Seedorf, who is in stunning form, will provide further creativity behind Boateng. Alessandro Nesta is expected to miss the game through injury.
Prediction: Brescia 1-2 Milan
Even though Juventus have won their last three games, they are still eight points behind Lazio in the race for the final Champions League spot.
It may be a little too late for Juve now, but nonetheless a win against Catania will keep them in contention for the Champions League.
Alessandro Del Piero and Alessandro Matri will be the strike-pair for Juventus.
Striker Maxi Lopez will be the sole striker for Catania, and if he puts in a worthy performance against Juventus, Catania could take a huge step in avoiding relegation.
Currently, they sit precariously on thirty-six points, just four points above relegation.
Prediction: Juventus 1-0 Catania
