Novara are relegated, but they have not been the talking point to come out of the midweek Serie A fixtures. Fiorentina sack Delio Rossi for assaulting Adem Ljajic, but not even that has stolen the headline to the extent that AC Milan have closed the gap at the top to only one point against bitter rivals Juventus...

Saturday, 5 May 2012

Lecce - Fiorentina

Lecce may be go down as the side that brought down Juventus' Scudetto campaign, after the Giallorossi grabbed a late equaliser on Wednesday evening. Despite it being a lucky goal - as Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon made a harsh first touch - Luis Muriel managed to get the ball into the back of the net. Lecce are also fighting to avoid relegation, and the point came in handy as Genoa got the three points to pull away. Juan Cuadrado will miss due to receiving two yellow cards and being sent off.

In any competition, the assault of a player by a coach would dominate the headlines. In Serie A, it hasn't. But that is exactly what happened after Viola boss Delio Rossi substituted Adem Ljajic against Novara on Wednesday. The Serbian reportedly made some gestures and comments, and Rossi snapped. The board of directors immediately sacked him and have since appointed Vincenzo Guerini for the final two matches. Riccardo Montolivo's second-half brace is something that has been completely dismissed. Stevan Jovetic missed the match, but will come back for this one, as he is the key to a Gigliati win.

Lecce need the points, but Fiorentina are playing for pride.

Prediction: Lecce 2-2 Fiorentina

Roma - Catania

Roma remained a very slender outsider to grab the final Champions League - requiring a host of results to go the Giallorossi's way - but failed to get the necessary win against Chievo, barely managing a draw. On a rain-soaked pitch, Luis Enrique's men created chances from distance, finding it tough to get close to Stefano Sorrentino's goal. Despite the return of Daniele De Rossi, the Lupi could have also lost the match, as the Gialloblu had a goal disallowed, and allowed Sergio Pellissier a clear-cut chance late on.

Catania were shock midweek losers, dropping all three points against Bologna 1-0 at the Massimino. A fortress all season long, the Elefanti let the result get beyond them. Gonzalo Bergessio believed he had scored with 20 minutes to go, but replays showed that the ball didn't cross the line, as goalkeeper Michele Agliardi got to the ball in the nick of time. Pablo Barrientos will return from suspension.

Roma have scored at least one goal in all their home matches this term, and should do the same on Saturday. 

Prediction: Roma 2-1 Catania

Sunday, 6 May 2012

Siena - Parma

Mattia Destro may have been the one who got his name on the scoresheet against Lazio, but the work of goalkeeper Gianluca Pegoli must also be attributed. The shot-stopper blocked a Biancocelesti double-chance in the first-half, and was in good positions all match. The Robur are safe, but are aiming for their best-ever finish.

Parma are the in-form side in the competition, having won their last five matches. And it was no surprise that the Gialloblu defeated Inter 3-1 on Wednesday. Sebastian Giovinco played a hand in every goal, scoring once and providing the assists for the other two. His 15 goals and 10 assists put him up as a contender for the Serie A player of the season. The Ducali are only two points behind Roma, and could overtake them should results go their way. 

Siena at home are quite good, but Parma has been known to get shock away results.

Prediction: Siena 1-1 Parma

Atalanta - Lazio

Atalanta have set a point-record this season, but failed to get the win against Milan in a Lombardy derby. At home, the Orobici have been difficult to break down, as was seen in the 2-0 win over Fiorentina on the weekend. German Denis still looms as the key player, but Maxi Moralez has been stealing some of the headlines recently. 

Three points were required, but one will be accepted, as it means Lazio stay in the race for third place, but have it all to do. Only managing a 1-1 draw, the Biancocelesti were lucky even to score, as Siena dominated proceedings and should have been rewarded with more goals. Federico Marchetti and Andre Dias missed the match, and won't be available for the remainder of the season. Antonio Candreva is proving to be a handful for opposition sides, as he won the penalty which Cristian Ledesma converted.

Atalanta can shape the top six, as they played Milan, face Lazio and take on Juventus next week. Realistically, this could be their last chance to get a win, but Lazio are strong on the road.

Prediction: Atalanta 1-1 Lazio

Bologna - Napoli

Bologna took on an already-safe Catania in Sicily, and got an unexpected 1-0 result at the Massimino. Gaston Ramirez's curler from 25 yards was his third strike in four games. Stefano Pioli had the luxury of resting star forwards Alessandro Diamanti and Marco Di Vaio, which made the win more shocking. Noth are expected to partner the Uruguayan in the attack. 

Napoli made short work of Palermo, beating the Rosanero 2-0. The biggest winners in the race for third, the Partenopei should not have been awarded a penalty on 16 minutes, as the ball involuntarily struck a Milan Milanovic arm, and Edinson Cavani converted. Marek Hamsik also scored on 35 minutes. Goran Pandev was  preferred ahead of Ezequiel Lavezzi, and it was the former who won the spot-kick. What will Walter Mazzarri do? Play the Argentine or the Macedonian?

Prediction: Bologna 1-2 Napoli

Novara - Cesena

The battle of the relegated teams sees Novara host Cesena. 19th versus 20th is generally meant to mean a drab affair, but highly-entertaining matches is what teams in these similar positions provide. Novara took a two-goal lead against Fiorentina after 30 minutes when Jeda and Marco Rigoni converted their opportunities, but their defence couldn't quite do its job.

Cesena may already be relegated as well, but have proved a handful despite their position, more so than this weekend's opponents. The attacking combination of Vincenzo Iaquinta and Adrian Mutu failed to fire once again against Udinese - Mutu smashed his penalty-spot kick against the crossbar - and could have been further down had video replays been used to award a second goal. Giuseppe Colucci is expected to return in defence.

Prediction: Novara 3-2 Cesena

Palermo - Chievo

Palermo cannot wait for the season to end. Their atrocious away record continued midweek, losing 2-0 to Napoli. Without captain Fabrizio Miccoli, the Rosanero didn't get into the match, and create too many chances up front. The former Juventus and Perugia hitman will slot straight back into the starting XI, partnering Abel Hernandez. Josip Ilicic had the Sicilian's best chance to score, but his shot went straight at Morgan De Sanctis. Even Eran Zahavi fluffed his one-on-one chance, shooting it over the bar.

Chievo fans would have been hoping their side could've claimed all three points against Roma on Tuesday night, as they had the better of the chances to score. Sergio Pellissier did manage to get the ball into the back of the net, but he was ruled - correctly - to have been in an offside position. The striker also fluffed his chance from inside the box late on. Despite this, Domenico Di Carlo did have several of his stars missing, including Cyril Thereau, but the Frenchman should return to partner Michael Bradley in midfield.

Chievo haven't scored in five outings, since they played Catania on April 7.  

Prediction: Palermo 2-1 Chievo

Udinese - Genoa

If the race for third place is determined by one goal, Udinese fans and Serie A followers will be able to pinpoint where the Bianconeri were harshly done by. Kwadwo Asamoah unleashed a rocket just before the half-hour mark, which almost broke the crossbar. As the ball was travelling at such a velocity, the linesman failed to see that it had in fact crossed the line entirely. Not awarding the goal, the Friuli-based outfit managed a slender 1-0 win thanks to Diego Fabbrini's debut Serie A goal.

Genoa snapped their winless run since February, by earning a 2-1 win against Cagliari. The only disappointment was that there were no fans at the ground to cheer them on, as it was behind closed doors in Brescia. Rodrigo may have opened the scoring, but it was a screamer from Bosko Jankovic into the top corner from a free-kick with 15 minutes to go that stole the show - and the three points. Alberto Gilardino made his return midweek, and he will have gained some match fitness. Watch him to fire alongside Palacio. The Grifone are not quite safe yet, but the three points here would go a very long way.

Udinese are aiming at a Champions League spot, and should win given their impressive home record.

Prediction: Udinese 3-1 Genoa

Cagliari - Juventus

Cagliari may have equalised against Genoa via Lorenzo Ariaudo, but were never really in the match. The Rossoblu's home record at their 'new' stadium in Trieste has served them well, as they are yet to lose there. The Isolani may be nowhere near the top of the Serie A standings, but will play a very big factor this weekend. The match has been moved to the evening, to coincide with the Derby della Madonnina kick-off, avoiding any form of collusion. Mauricio Pinilla will be the one to watch.

The Scudetto race is reportedly back on, as Juventus failed to secure the three points against Lecce. Despite Andrea Pirlo playing a sublime ball over for Claudio Marchisio to header home, it was Gianluigi Buffon's first touch in the 85th minute which created a howler, and allowed Luis Muriel to equalise into an empty net. It was also the first time the Bianconeri dropped points out of their last seven outings, but so much is at stake.

Cagliari's home record is strong, but Juventus have a Scudetto on the line.

Prediction: Cagliari 0-2 Juventus

Inter Milan - AC Milan

SoccerAnchor's Derby della Madonnina Preview: Click Here

The final midweek fixture for this season has arrived, but the same questions from Sunday still reign supreme. Roma has dropped out of the race for third, but Inter Milan have entered. Lecce had a chance to overtake Genoa on the table and send the Grifoni into the bottom three but failed. What will happen?...

Tuesday, 1 May 2012

Chievo - Roma

Chievo registered a scoreless draw against Cagliari away from home on Saturday, but the Gialloblu have nothing to play for. Sitting comfortably in mid-table, the Flying Donkeys, though, have failed to find the back of the net in the last few encounters. Domenico Di Carlo will be aiming to rectify this on Tuesday, as he wants to end the campaign on a high note. Alberto Paloschi had beaten the goalkeeper, but his goal was chalked off for offside.

Roma had their chance to beat Napoli on Saturday as well, but could not hold the Azzurri defensively. Missing a host of players including Maarten Stekelenburg, Daniele De Rossi, Erik Lamela and Pablo Osvaldo, only il 'Capitano Futuro' will return for this one. Roma also lacked the movement in the final third to break down their opposition, as they took a host of shots from distance. 

This is Roma's last chance for a spot in Europe. Lose, and Arrivederci to those hopes. Roma have not lost to Chievo since 2003, a run of 19 matches.

Prediction: Chievo 0-2 Roma

Napoli - Palermo

Napoli can thank Juan Zuniga for igniting the team after half-time, as his thunderbolt attempt on goal found Bogdan Lobont wanting. The wing-back's shot got the game on level terms, and when Edinson Cavani scored, the Partenopei looked like they could hold on. But for Walter Mazzarri's side, it felt like two points had been dropped, rather than a point earnt, as four teams now sit on 55 points, battling it out for the final Champions League place. 

Palermo's record in the Sicilian derbies has come under serious scrutiny over the past few seasons, and the Rosanero failed to fully capitalise on home ground advantage against Catania. Coach Bortolo Mutti has told his players they must perform, and only three points matters. Fabrizio Miccoli will not be featuring in this match, meaning Igor Budan will partner Abel Hernandez.

Napoli want to break away and secure third place, and only a win will do.

Prediction: Napoli 3-1 Palermo

Wednesday, 2 May 2012

Catania - Bologna

Marco Motta could have had given Catania the perfect start to the Derby della Sicilia had his diving header been able to beat Emiliano Viviano after only 25 seconds. Another defender in Nicola Legrottaglie managed to open the scoring after 25 minutes. What will concern Vincenzo Montella are the injuries to Sergio Almiron and Pablo Barrientos, as well as Cristian Llama.

The Bologna 2012 juggernaut continued on Sunday, as they took care of Genoa 3-2, but the Rossoblu had to hold off their fast-finishing opponents. Daniele Portanova may have opened the scoring, but it was Uruguayan sensation Gaston Ramirez that doubled the side's lead, by simply tapping the ball past Sebastien Frey. Gyorgy Garics also got on the scoresheet.

Catania seem to be another team at home, and in a sort-of direct mid-table battle, should win at the Massimino.

Prediction: Catania 1-0 Bologna

Cesena - Udinese

Cesena opened the scoring against the run of play through Luca Ceccarelli against Inter, but the already-relegated side fell in a heap and showed by they are going back down to Serie B, conceding twice. One positive for the Seahorses was the return of Adrian Mutu and Vincenzo Iaquinta to the starting XI, but needed more from the duo. The Bianconeri have a chance to influence how the season ends at the pointy end of the table, but losses to Juventus and Inter have helped their oppositions rather then their precarious position.

Udinese claimed a controversial 2-0 win over Lazio in the direct battle for third place. Antonio Di Natale had opened the scoring with 20 minutes to go, but there was a lot of conjecture over whether the final whistle had been blown. The Biancocelesti players stopped, but the referee revealed it had come from the crowd, and not him. This allowed Pereyra to shoot at an empty net, as Federico Marchetti pushed forward for a last-minute equaliser.

Udinese need the win, whilst Cesena are playing for pride.

Prediction: Cesena 0-2 Udinese

Fiorentina - Novara

Fiorentina supporters were hoping they could perform the Viola heroics they saw against Roma, but the team couldn't replicate it against Atalanta, going down 2-0. Having had a Stevan Jovetic penalty saved, the match went from bad to worse, as Valon Behrami's shoulder injury seems more serious than first anticipated. One positive to come out of that match was goalkeeper Neto's Serie A debut. 

Novara are clinging on to Serie A survival by the skin of their teeth, but could go down this Matchday. Seven points behind Lecce, the Piemonte-based outfit need three wins in three matches. 

Prediction: Fiorentina 1-0 Novara

Genoa - Cagliari

Genoa fans had their hearts in their mouths after the Grifone failed to register a win against Bologna on Sunday. The Ligurians could have slipped into the bottom three had Lecce beaten Parma. Genoa were very flat in the first half, but lifted upon the entrance Davide Biondini, seemingly providing a more balanced formation. Rodrigo Palacio and Cristobal Jorquera may have gotten on the scoresheet, and Ze Eduardo came close to equalising late on.

Cagliari may have claimed a point against Chievo, but the Rossoblu are doing better at their temporary home in Trieste than at the Sant' Elia. Safe from relegation, the Isolani didn't create too many opportunities to score, but did keep it tight against their opposition. Expect another similar match on Wednesday. 

Genoa's best chance at a win, and how crucial this will be.

Prediction: Genoa 1-0 Cagliari

Juventus - Lecce

Juventus swept aside relegation-bound Novara last weekend in the Piemonte derby 4-0. Mirko Vucinic's flick not only stunned the crowd, but opened the landslide. Alessandro Del Piero revealed the Coppa Italia Final would be his last-ever game for the Bianconeri. Arturo Vidal has been the catalyst for the Turin side's ability to stay at the top, as he has formed a strong relationship with Andrea Pirlo. Marco Borriello has scored twice in two matches, whilst Fabio Quagliarella re-signed a contract seeing him at the club until June 2015. 

Lecce had a very good chance to get out of the bottom three, as the Giallorossi watched Genoa slip up against Bologna a few hours earlier. But a Sebastian Giovinco-led Parma came to play for the three points, and took them away from the Via Del Mare. The absence of Juan Cuadrado was noted, as Serse Cosmi's side lacked that X-factor. Esposito will be suspended for this clash.

Juventus to make it unbeaten in 36, and not concede.

Prediction: Juventus 3-0 Lecce

Lazio - Siena

Lazio have had their buffer at the top of the "race for third" eaten up. Now, four teams sit equal with the Biancocelesti on 55 points. Losing 2-0 in controversial circumstances to Udinese didn't help, and neither will the absence of Andre Dias for his involvement in a post-game scuffle for this match. Add to this the growing injury list the Roman club, and Edy Reja has a lot of work to do in order to get his best 11 out on the park. 

Siena were expected to not put up a fight when AC Milan came to town, and did exactly that, losing 4-1 to the Rossoneri on Sunday. Mattia Destro had a glorious chance to score before half-time, but fluffed his chance. Erjon Bogdani, though, managed to pull one back, but it was too late. The Robur are safe from any form of relegation, but would like to finish higher than the position they currently occupy.

Lazio's injury woes are of a real concern, and Andre Dias' absence could mean Destro may score a few.

Prediction: Lazio 2-2 Siena

AC Milan - Atalanta

Still in the hunt for the Scudetto, coach Massimiliano Allegri knows he just needs continuing to win. The Serie A title is out of the Rossoneri's hands, and can only hope Juventus slip up. The positive news out of the club is that Antonio Cassano is starting to return to his former self, and Fantantonio scored his first goal for the club in 2012. Robinho and Clarence Seedorf will be fighting to get back into the starting XI, as they were dropped for the Sunday match.

Atalanta mathematically secured their position in the Serie A for next season, as it defeated Fiorentina 2-0. Andrea Consigli may have saved a late penalty, but German Denis and Giacomo Bonaventura were the ones who put the ball in the back of the net. The Argentine ended his non-scoring streak, meaning Stefano Colantuono is a relieved man. Maxi Moralez could have made it a bigger lead had his chip not been cleared off the line.

Another Lombardy derby, and another win to the home side.

Prediction: AC Milan 3-0 Atalanta

Parma - Inter Milan

Four-straight wins means Parma are the in-form side along with leaders Juventus. And it is because a player co-owned with the Bianconeri has taken the next step in his game. Sebastian Giovinco has been unstoppable, and he has single-handedly lifted the Gialloblu. From nearly being involved in the relegation battle, the Ducali are now safe, and looking at finishing at least in eighth place. 

Inter are still undefeated under Andrea Stramaccioni, and now there is talk he could be secured for next season. Whatever the 36-year-old has done at the club, it has worked, to the point where the Nerazzurri are a realistic chance of making the Champions League. Conceding a goal in the 57th minute, Joel Obi equalised only minutes later and Fredy Guarin found Mauro Zarate alone in the six-yard box to header home for the win. Questions will be asked over whether Julio Cesar will start, as he injured his elbow prior to kick-off.

5-0 was the scoreline last time, and the form reversal for the Nerazzurri. Should be a lot closer this time around.

Prediction: Parma 1-1 Inter Milan

Only three matches remain in Italy’s Serie A after this morning’s fixtures, and it is the Old Lady of Italian football which continues to dictate terms from the top of her post, which today was at the Stadio Silvio Piola.

She once again demonstrated her defensive rigidness and expert finishing away to a wavering Novara side, who did not seem to stand a chance from the get go.

Four goals were put past the hosts in a clinical display, leaving Juve three points ahead of scudetto rivals AC Milan on the road to claiming their 28th championship.

A brace from in form Montenegrin forward Mirko Vucinic on 16 and 64 minutes contributed to what was a comfortable win.

Marco Borriello followed up his mid-week goal at Cesena to score his side’s second just before the break, while soon after Arturo Vidal took advantage of a lapse in concentration from Novara’s veteran keeper Alberto Fontana to make it 3-0.

Antonio Conte was full of praise for his players after knocking off a determined Novara side.

“It wasn’t easy today, as Novara beat Lazio three days ago and today they really wanted to trip us up,” he explained to Italy’s Sky Sports.

“We are in good shape and anyone who saw the game witnessed a Juventus team that plays with intensity.

The Bianconeri’s superior head-to-head record with Milan would mean that they would be able to wrap up the title on Wednesday if they were to win and Milan were to suffer defeat against Atalanta at home in their next game.

“We can make calculations too and we are closing in on the Scudetto in the right way, though we know Milan are great antagonists. The important thing is that our destiny is in our hands.”

“Wednesday will be the game of our lives,” Conte added.

Juventus host Lecce at the Juventus Stadium in Turin on Wednesday.

Follow Shaun Moran on Twitter @MoranShaun

Roma and Napoli shared the spoils in an entertaining 2-2 draw at the Stadio Olimpico, which keeps both teams in the running for a third place finish.

Napoli started the match strongly, showing determination in a match they needed a good result from in the race for the third place.

Their first chance came in the 18^th minute, when Marek Hamsik made a run after Roma lost the ball in midfield, and unleashed a shot from just inside the area that was saved by goalkeeper Bogdan Lobont with his feet.

Eight minutes later, Rodrigo Taddei responded for Roma as he fired a shot from distance that forced a good save from goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis.

In the 28^th minute, Roma missed a huge chance to open the score, as captain Francesco Totti fired a hard long range shot that was initially parried by De Sanctis, and on the rebound Fernando Gago incredibly sent the ball high from close range.  

Two minutes later, Bojan Krcic came close with another shot from outside the area that was saved by the Napoli goalkeeper. In the 33^rd minute, the former Barcelona striker sent in a good cross from the left that was met by Marquinho, whose header went just over the bar.

Roma deservedly opened the score in the 41^st minute, as Totti played the ball to Alessandro Rosi, who sent in a cross that was converted with a shot by Marquinho.

However, just minutes into the second half, Napoli equalised with a great shot from distance by Juan Zuniga that found the back of the net.

The Colombian came close again in the 65^th minute with a curling shot from the edge of the area that went just over the crossbar.

Three minutes later, Napoli took the lead with another fine goal, as Edinson Cavani controlled the ball outside the area after a fast counterattack and unleashed a curling right-footed shot that flew past goalkeeper Bogdan Lobont.

Napoli had taken over control of the match, although Roma tried to hit back in the 71^st minute, when Bojan made a run from the left and cut inside for a shot from just outside the area that was well blocked by De Sanctis.

Despite being mostly outplayed in the second half, Roma did manage to find an equaliser two minutes before full time, when substitute Gadji Tallo sent in a cross from the left that was turned in by Fabio Simplicio inside the area.

In the end the match finished 2-2, a result that doesn’t change much for either team in the race for a third place finish. Roma are in 7^th place with 51 points, while Napoli are third with 55.