Serie A Weekend Preview: Round 12
Atalanta–Milan
Atalanta have made a superb start to the season and will be starting to have ambitions of qualifying for Europe after losing just one game from 11 this campaign.
Luigi Del Neri’s men are flying high in sixth position and last week recorded an impressive 2-1 away victory over in-form Catania.
Milan have shown recent signs of overcoming their early season blues and will have been buoyed after their impressive 3-0 Champions League win over Shakhtar Donetsk in midweek.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men will be desperate for victory in Bergamo as they currently sit in ninth position in Serie A, having still failed to win at home in the league.
Their away form however has been impressive, with their last two trips to Lazio and Sampdoria yielding 10 goals for and just one against.
Fiorentina – Udinese
Fiorentina have been one of the team’s of the season thus far and are still unbeaten in all competitions.
Last week they notched up another Serie A victory at Lazio to push them into second place in the standings, just two points behind leaders Inter.
This has led legendary coaches Marcello Lippi and Arrigo Sacchi to suggest that the Scudetto is not out of the question for the Viola.
Udinese are also flying high and despite last week’s 0-0 draw at Livorno, Pasquale Marino’s men are sitting pretty in fifth position.
The Zebrette have not tasted defeat since the 3-2 reverse to Genoa way back on September 26 and they are looking odds-on for a UEFA Cup spot.
Inter – Lazio
Leaders Inter go into the game still unbeaten in the league and are looking like an awesome machine just now.
In midweek they launched a sensational comeback from two goals down to beat CSKA Moscow 4-2 in the Champions League.
Roberto Mancini’s men are full of character and it will be a huge shock if Lazio are to come away from San Siro with anything this weekend.
The Biancocelesti have lost three games on the trot in the league and sit just one point above the relegation zone in 15th place.
However Delio Rossi’s squad will have been boosted by the 2-1 Champions League victory over Werder Bremen on Tuesday night.
Palermo – Napoli
Palermo can’t buy three points at the moment and having gone the whole month of October without a win, they continued this trend with a 3-3 draw at Genoa last week.
That result was the Sicilians’ fifth consecutive draw in Serie A, although it must be noted that three of these would have been defeats had it not been for late equalisers by Amauri in the matches with Reggina, Parma, and Genoa.
Napoli have been one of the major success stories this term and they sit one place above Palermo in seventh position in the table.
Last week they were rescued by Ezequiel Lavezzi who scored a 90th minute goal equaliser against rock-bottom Reggina. This followed excellent showings from the Partenopei in the 3-1 win over Juventus and 1-0 defeat to Fiorentina.
Parma – Juventus
Parma boss Domenico Di Carlo had been looking like the next managerial casualty until the Gialloblu embarked on their recent three-match unbeaten run.
A 3-2 win over Livorno and draws against Palermo and Siena have lifted Parma up to 14th and relieved some of the pressure off Di Carlo.
Juventus will be confident going into the match at the Stadio Tardini after their 1-1 draw with Inter last Sunday proved that they can mix it with the big boys.
The Bianconeri have excelled on their return to the top flight and sit in fourth position, just four points behind leaders Inter. Juventus also boast an awesome record against Parma having not lost to them in over five years.
Reggina - Genoa
Reggina are still yet to win in Serie A this season and go into this game at the Stadio Granillo rock-bottom of the table.
The Amaranti’s dreadful start has seen them pick up just 6 points and 7 goals from 11 games, thus leading to the sacking of Coach Massimo Ficcadenti.
His replacement Renzo Ulivieri was only denied a debut win at Napoli by a 90th minute Ezequiel Lavezzi strike and he will be hoping to build on this on Sunday.
Genoa have surprised many on their first season in the top-flight for 12 years. Gian Piero Gasperini’s men sit comfortably in mid-table and earlier embarked on a superb three-match winning streak which had seen them rise to as high as fifth.
However they have since gone four games without a win and will be hoping to get back on track against the division’s basement boys.
Roma – Cagliari
Roma will be confident of getting back to winning ways after consecutive 2-2 draws against Empoli and Sporting Lisbon. Last Sunday a 90th minute wonder goal by Sebastian Giovinco prevented the Giallorossi from taking all three points in Tuscany.
However they say that what goes around comes around, and on Wednesday night a late David Pizarro strike earned the capital club a vital point in the Champions League.
Cagliari arrive at the Stadio Olimpico as huge underdogs and not many would bet on them going back to Sardinia with any points.
Marco Giampaolo’s men have not won for five games, with three of these being defeats. The club are rapidly sliding down the table and are now level on points with Empoli in the last relegation position.
Sampdoria – Empoli
Sampdoria had a much needed injection of confidence last week with a resounding 3-0 win over Cagliari. This had followed the disappointing 2-0 loss at Catania and the downright humiliating 5-0 thrashing at home by Milan.
The Genovesi are sitting in 12th position but with a clump of teams all level with them on 14 points a victory on Saturday could see a rise into the top half of the table.
Empoli will have been buoyed after their magnificent comeback against Roma last weekend. The Tuscans had trailed 2-0 to the Giallorossi, but stunning goals by Ighli Vannucchi and Sebastian Giovinco, the latter coming in the 90th minute, rescued a point.
Gigi Cagni’s men still sit in the relegation zone but they showed enough against Roma last week to suggest that they should have enough to beat the drop this season.
Siena – Livorno
Two of Serie A’s relegation favourites meet in this Tuscan derby at the Stadio Franchi.
While Livorno are second from bottom with just one win and six points from 11 games, Siena are just three points above them in 16th.
Livorno have shown improvement under new boss Giancarlo Camolese, and have picked up four points in their last two games.
Siena are the division’s draw specialists, having finished level six times this campaign. Indeed Andrea Mandorlini’s men have tied their last three games against Reggina, Catania and Parma.
Torino – Catania
A mid-table clash at the Stadio Olimpico between two teams looking to break into the top half of the table.
Torino will be slightly disappointed to be sitting in 13th place in the table, and will be desperately trying to add to their miserly tally of just two wins this term.
Catania on the other hand are on an excellent run of form and last week’s 2-0 defeat to Atalanta was their first defeat since September 23.
Indeed Silvio Baldini’s men had won four and drawn two matches during that period and the Coach’s well-drilled outfit can certainly have no fears of relegation this season.
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Atalanta–Milan
Atalanta have made a superb start to the season and will be starting to have ambitions of qualifying for Europe after losing just one game from 11 this campaign.
Luigi Del Neri’s men are flying high in sixth position and last week recorded an impressive 2-1 away victory over in-form Catania.
Milan have shown recent signs of overcoming their early season blues and will have been buoyed after their impressive 3-0 Champions League win over Shakhtar Donetsk in midweek.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men will be desperate for victory in Bergamo as they currently sit in ninth position in Serie A, having still failed to win at home in the league.
Their away form however has been impressive, with their last two trips to Lazio and Sampdoria yielding 10 goals for and just one against.
Fiorentina – Udinese
Fiorentina have been one of the team’s of the season thus far and are still unbeaten in all competitions.
Last week they notched up another Serie A victory at Lazio to push them into second place in the standings, just two points behind leaders Inter.
This has led legendary coaches Marcello Lippi and Arrigo Sacchi to suggest that the Scudetto is not out of the question for the Viola.
Udinese are also flying high and despite last week’s 0-0 draw at Livorno, Pasquale Marino’s men are sitting pretty in fifth position.
The Zebrette have not tasted defeat since the 3-2 reverse to Genoa way back on September 26 and they are looking odds-on for a UEFA Cup spot.
Inter – Lazio
Leaders Inter go into the game still unbeaten in the league and are looking like an awesome machine just now.
In midweek they launched a sensational comeback from two goals down to beat CSKA Moscow 4-2 in the Champions League.
Roberto Mancini’s men are full of character and it will be a huge shock if Lazio are to come away from San Siro with anything this weekend.
The Biancocelesti have lost three games on the trot in the league and sit just one point above the relegation zone in 15th place.
However Delio Rossi’s squad will have been boosted by the 2-1 Champions League victory over Werder Bremen on Tuesday night.
Palermo – Napoli
Palermo can’t buy three points at the moment and having gone the whole month of October without a win, they continued this trend with a 3-3 draw at Genoa last week.
That result was the Sicilians’ fifth consecutive draw in Serie A, although it must be noted that three of these would have been defeats had it not been for late equalisers by Amauri in the matches with Reggina, Parma, and Genoa.
Napoli have been one of the major success stories this term and they sit one place above Palermo in seventh position in the table.
Last week they were rescued by Ezequiel Lavezzi who scored a 90th minute goal equaliser against rock-bottom Reggina. This followed excellent showings from the Partenopei in the 3-1 win over Juventus and 1-0 defeat to Fiorentina.
Parma – Juventus
Parma boss Domenico Di Carlo had been looking like the next managerial casualty until the Gialloblu embarked on their recent three-match unbeaten run.
A 3-2 win over Livorno and draws against Palermo and Siena have lifted Parma up to 14th and relieved some of the pressure off Di Carlo.
Juventus will be confident going into the match at the Stadio Tardini after their 1-1 draw with Inter last Sunday proved that they can mix it with the big boys.
The Bianconeri have excelled on their return to the top flight and sit in fourth position, just four points behind leaders Inter. Juventus also boast an awesome record against Parma having not lost to them in over five years.
Reggina - Genoa
Reggina are still yet to win in Serie A this season and go into this game at the Stadio Granillo rock-bottom of the table.
The Amaranti’s dreadful start has seen them pick up just 6 points and 7 goals from 11 games, thus leading to the sacking of Coach Massimo Ficcadenti.
His replacement Renzo Ulivieri was only denied a debut win at Napoli by a 90th minute Ezequiel Lavezzi strike and he will be hoping to build on this on Sunday.
Genoa have surprised many on their first season in the top-flight for 12 years. Gian Piero Gasperini’s men sit comfortably in mid-table and earlier embarked on a superb three-match winning streak which had seen them rise to as high as fifth.
However they have since gone four games without a win and will be hoping to get back on track against the division’s basement boys.
Roma – Cagliari
Roma will be confident of getting back to winning ways after consecutive 2-2 draws against Empoli and Sporting Lisbon. Last Sunday a 90th minute wonder goal by Sebastian Giovinco prevented the Giallorossi from taking all three points in Tuscany.
However they say that what goes around comes around, and on Wednesday night a late David Pizarro strike earned the capital club a vital point in the Champions League.
Cagliari arrive at the Stadio Olimpico as huge underdogs and not many would bet on them going back to Sardinia with any points.
Marco Giampaolo’s men have not won for five games, with three of these being defeats. The club are rapidly sliding down the table and are now level on points with Empoli in the last relegation position.
Sampdoria – Empoli
Sampdoria had a much needed injection of confidence last week with a resounding 3-0 win over Cagliari. This had followed the disappointing 2-0 loss at Catania and the downright humiliating 5-0 thrashing at home by Milan.
The Genovesi are sitting in 12th position but with a clump of teams all level with them on 14 points a victory on Saturday could see a rise into the top half of the table.
Empoli will have been buoyed after their magnificent comeback against Roma last weekend. The Tuscans had trailed 2-0 to the Giallorossi, but stunning goals by Ighli Vannucchi and Sebastian Giovinco, the latter coming in the 90th minute, rescued a point.
Gigi Cagni’s men still sit in the relegation zone but they showed enough against Roma last week to suggest that they should have enough to beat the drop this season.
Siena – Livorno
Two of Serie A’s relegation favourites meet in this Tuscan derby at the Stadio Franchi.
While Livorno are second from bottom with just one win and six points from 11 games, Siena are just three points above them in 16th.
Livorno have shown improvement under new boss Giancarlo Camolese, and have picked up four points in their last two games.
Siena are the division’s draw specialists, having finished level six times this campaign. Indeed Andrea Mandorlini’s men have tied their last three games against Reggina, Catania and Parma.
Torino – Catania
A mid-table clash at the Stadio Olimpico between two teams looking to break into the top half of the table.
Torino will be slightly disappointed to be sitting in 13th place in the table, and will be desperately trying to add to their miserly tally of just two wins this term.
Catania on the other hand are on an excellent run of form and last week’s 2-0 defeat to Atalanta was their first defeat since September 23.
Indeed Silvio Baldini’s men had won four and drawn two matches during that period and the Coach’s well-drilled outfit can certainly have no fears of relegation this season.
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