Round 13 marks the completion of one third of the season in Italy. With the campaign well underway, this weekend could be one of the most crucial for teams like Siena, AC Milan and Lazio.
Juventus’ dominance over Pescara and Inter’s poor showing against Atalanta has opened the gap at the top of the table once again. Napoli and Fiorentina continue to breathe behind the Nerazzurri’s neck as they look well poised to compete for the third Champions League spot. Following their derby victory, the Aquile have also affirmed their intentions to finish third.
Last weekend’s big losers – Roma and AC Milan – will be hoping to climb up in the standings. And seven teams continue to fight to avoid relegation at the bottom end of the table.
Derby della Lanterna
Relegation contenders Sampdoria and Genoa battle it out in the derby della Lanterna on Saturday with both teams looking to end their embarrassing streak of losses. Ciro Ferrara’s men have failed to pick up a single point from their last seven games whereas the Rossoblu have lost their last five outings.
Both president Enrico Preziosi and coach Luigi Delneri have been heavily criticized by the Genoa faithful and a derby defeat will further tarnish their reputation. Meanwhile, rumors suggest il Doria president Riccardo Garrone is losing his patience with coach Ciro Ferrara and a loss might begin to trigger his exit.
Considering this derby is being played after almost one and half years and as relegation beckons both teams, a passionate and tense encounter is expected.
Juventus vs Lazio
This weekend marks the beginning of a season defining string of matches for the reigning champions Juventus as they look to qualify for the knock out stages of the Champions League while maintaining their grip at the top of the Serie A table.
Meanwhile, Vladimir Petkovic’s men will be determined to build on their derby glory when they travel to Turin. The Biancocelesti are fifth in the table and will be hoping to avoid losing ground on Napoli and Fiorentina.
Napoli vs AC Milan
Thirteenth placed AC Milan will travel to Naples to face Napoli on Saturday night as rumors regarding the future of coach Massimiliano Allegri continues to circulate. The Rossoneri will be hoping to gain some much needed confidence by beating a strong Napoli side.
Walter Mazzari’s men impressively beat Genoa last weekend by a margin of 4-2 after having trailed twice and will be looking to keep tabs on second placed Inter by beating their arch rivals.
Elsewhere..
The early kickoff on Saturday afternoon features 19th placed Bologna, who will be traveling to Sicily to face Palermo. After finally having picked all three points last week, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side will be aiming for mid table following a disastrous start to the season.
An interesting duel between relegation contenders Pescara and Siena will take place on Saturday afternoon as both sides aim for a win. This match provides Serse Cosmi with an opportunity to lift his side out of the relegation zone for the first time this season.
Following a disappointing loss against Atalanta last week, Andrea Strammacioni’s Inter host Cagliari at the San Siro on Saturday afternoon. The Nerazzurri have many players sidelined due to injury but will be hoping to get back to winning ways against a competitive Isolani side.
Eight placed Catania host Chievo as both teams look to avoid another draw. The flying donkeys conceded a late goal last weekend which denied them a victory against Udinese whereas the Rossazzurri played out a goal less draw against Cagliari.
Vincenzo Montella’s high flying Fiorentina host Stefano Colantuono’s giant killing Atalanta side. La Dea have emerged victorious against Inter, Napoli and AC Milan this season and will be looking to add on to their fine start to the season.
Tenth placed Udinese host ninth placed Parma with both sides looking to maintain their position at the top half of the table.
Zdenek Zeman’s inconsistent Roma side host Torino on Monday night as they start picking up the pieces following last week’s defeat to their arch rivals.
Fixtures – Kickoff times in CET
17/11/2012 (Saturday) – Juventus v Lazio (18:00), Napoli v Milan (20:45)
18/11/2012 (Sunday) – Bologna v Palermo (12:30), Catania vs Chievo (15:00), Fiorentina vs Atalanta (15:00), Inter vs Cagliari (15:00), Siena vs Pescara (15:00), Udinese vs Parma (15:00), Sampdoria vs Genoa (20:45)
19/11/2012 (Monday) – Roma vs Torino (20:45)
