The fight for consistency is an endless one and Europe's place are reserved only for the stronger and most solid teams. Napoli and Palermo are fighting to get to different European competitions, but the fight is the same one. Siena, Udinese and Cagliari, still under Relegation's creepy reach. These four matches will define the final standings of the competition, and everything can happen. Will the first position be dyed in black and blue by Monday?

Napoli's European ambition will have them travel to Chievo to face the Flying Donkeys, who after two consecutive victories and 200 minutes of their goal shut will be ready to take down another European candidate and finish the tournament as close as possible from the top 10. Chievo won the last match played between the two teams, and such scoring will have its burden now that the three points mean so much, especially for Napoli, whose place for the Europa League may be jeopardized if they don't return home with a victory. Domenico Di Carlo will be missing Davide Mandelli in the back line, suspended after last week's match, and once again Mario Yepes will be watching this match from the bench, still struggling with an injury that's been keeping him off the fields for the whole month. Team’s captain Sergio Pellisier will have Uruguayan company with Pablo Granoche on the greedy attempt to break Napoli's defense, will this be enough to bag a victory?





The Partenopei know the uttermost importance of this match, and it is for that reason that the absence of Ezequiel Lavezzi (struggling with injuries) and Fabio Quagliarella (suspended) is being so painful for Walter Mazzari. Nonetheless, team's top striker Marek Hamsik's confidence is intact for this game; he knows German Denis can be as deadly as possible when the right opportunities are created, and with Mariano Bogliachino's assistance the incursions into Chievo's territory are likely to be fruitful. The five points the Azzurri have been able to obtain in its last four matches away are dooming this trip to turn the last two games of the competition into a nightmare, but the expectations have been growing high this semester thanks to a solid performance in every front. Will Napoli be able to leave the unstable seventh position to Juventus upon this match?



Palermo will have a relaxed trip to the bottom end of the positions table to recover its place from Sampdoria's hands, for the fifth position is keeping the Aquile from qualifying to the Champions League, a vital objective for Delio Rossi and his players. Having drank Diavolo's blood last week Palermo will be ready to show its determination for Europe's most challenging tournament against one of the weakest teams in the category. But it's been two months since the team claimed its last victory playing away, and it looks like they won't succeed on their European goal without overcoming this major setback. Javier Pastore has become the distinctive trademark of Rossi's strategy, and their rival is likely to give some space for the Argentinean to call Maradona's attraction for South Africa. Fabrizio Miccoli has been able to exploit the advantages of Pastore's skills to convert 18 goals in this season, developing a strength that will be ready to crush Siena under its weight. Team's coach is not regarding this as an easy match "I am sure the Bianconeri will look to honor the championship right to the end despite being on the brink of relegation".





If Siena was to obtain every possible points in these last three weeks (having yet to face Fiorentina and Internazionale) and Atalanta and Bologna were kept from obtaining even a single point then the Robur would be able to retain the category, but an equation with so many variables is not likely to work out well, nonetheless Alberto Malesani wants the team to leave a stain behind in the Serie A, and taking down Palermo might be an opportunity to ease the last weeks of the competition. Simone Vergassola's suspension will create a hole in midfield's creation without Alexandros Tziolis' performance, still struggling with injuries. Massimo Maccarone will have to rely on its individual capabilities to threaten Palermo's defense and maybe celebrate one last victory at the Artemio Franchi.



Two teams that have already reached a safe position from the Relegation fight will match their forces to see who can climb the highest in these last matches, for Udinese's offensive skills have not been enough to take them to the upper half of the position table, while Cagliari has been struggling for regularity since the beginning of the tournament. Antonio Di Natale's team will be looking forward to its fifth consecutive match unbeaten, as it seems Pasquale Marino has finally been able to equilibrate his squad as it's been proven against Juventus and Siena. Low performance has kept Paolo Sammarco off the fields, leaving its place to Kwadwo Asamoah to strength team's offensive; will this be enough to return home with the three points?





Cagliari had a stunning beginning of a tournament, but three points in eight weeks have relegated the team to the relegation fight, even though this week they'll have the chance to secure their survival by obtaining a single point receiving home Udinese, a difficult task considering Rossoblu's goal is the third most defeated in the tournament and their rival have the deadliest striker in the category, thus a change to a more defensive formation will be more than likely, but it'll be hard to remain strong in the offensive relegation midfield's creation to ball control. Federico Marchetti will have to show the same determination we saw last week between the posts to keep Udinese from bagging the victory.



This week will end with Jose Mourinho's boys marching over Rome to secure the first position after a successful Spanish adventure during midweek. Rome will be actually supporting their eternal rival for so little is yet to be played in the competition and Claudio Ranieri's boys are as close as possible from the top. Still not secured from the Relegation fight Edoardo Reja's boys will receive home a giant in its brightest splendor, and a defeat can close the gap from the Relegation line to only three points, thus team's manager will have to find some offensive variations to threaten Inter's solid defense. Sergio Floccari will be the only striker in the formation, for the team will be putting all the scoring responsibility in one man, though he's shown he can bear with such weight. Aleksandar Kolaraov defensive consistency will be determinant to stop Diego Milito and Samuel Eto'o blows. Words came out clear from Simone Inzaghi's mouth “No-one can insinuate that Lazio will not put the effort in. Our objective is survival and we would like to achieve that on Sunday night.”





Jose Mourinho has managed to do the impossible by taking Internazionale to the top of this competitive tournament while advancing to the final stages of both Coppa Italia and Champions League, and now their European aspirations have given the Neroazzurri three weeks to rest, exactly the time needed to claim the fourth consecutive Scudetto as well as tasting European glory. AC Milan has already fallen as a candidate for the title, but Rome has not given up and might leapfrog Inter if a victory is not obtained. Dejan Stankovic and Wesley Sneijder will be responsible for midfield's creation, with Milito and Eto'o lurking around Lazio's area. The defense will count with an Argentinean duetto that has proven its solidity along the year; Javier Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso's performance has been determinant for Jose Mourinho and will probably be Diego Maradona's backbone (with Javier Mascherano's addition) in South Africa. Rome has recovered the first position now, will Internazionale be able to recover it in due time?