Round 11 of the 2016/17 Serie A season could end with a shuffle at the top of the table with Juventus facing Napoli and Roma knowing they’re in with a chance of leading the pack.
Meanwhile at the bottom of the table, a shake up in the relegation zone could also take place as Empoli look to escape fears of a season in Serie B next year.
Here are five things to look out for when watching Serie A this weekend.
1. Juventus v Napoli
There are so many interesting factors concerning Saturday night’s huge clash between Juventus and Napoli that this segment couldn’t be narrowed down to one single title.
Firstly, there is the small matter of Gonzalo Higuain. The former Partenopei talisman completed a move to the Bianconeri this summer, and this will be the first time he comes face to face with the fans who used to adore him.
Secondly, Napoli are one of two sides who could realistically topple La Vecchia Signora this season and prevent them from winning a historic sixth-straight Scudetto, the other being Roma. A win for Maurizio Sarri’s men at the Juventus Stadium could be a key turning point in their campaign, especially given the possibility that the Turin side could slip up when aiming high in both Serie A and the Champions League.
It was the two horse race that gripped Calcio fans last year, and Saturday night’s clash will no doubt provide the same level of excitement.
A win for Napoli, and we will have a championship title race on our hands.
2. La unbeatable Dea
The last time Atalanta lost a Serie A fixture was September 21 against Palermo, but since then they have collected 13 points from five games, including a win over Inter.
They will look to continue this strong form on Sunday when they host Genoa, and a victory will only strengthen their chances of being a surprise European competition member next season.
Genoa are the obstacle that stand in their way this weekend however, and the Rossoblu themselves will be looking to capitalise on their good form of late after having dominated AC Milan 3-0 earlier this week.
A win for Atalanta could see them climb into the top four of the table, but Genoa will know they could end up in the top five this weekend if results were to go their way.
3. Oddo at Milan, supporting Pescara
Massimo Oddo played a total of 12 years of his career in a Rossoneri shirt before retiring in 2012. Three years later, he was appointed coach at Pescara, and one season later the Delfini were promoted to Serie A.
Sunday afternoon sees a return to the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza for the 40-year-old as he takes charge of a Pescara side who know they could steal all three points from the hands of Milan, who had strung together a good few results before collapsing at Genoa.
4. De Boer clutching at Inter straws
Despite claiming a victory over Torino in their most recent domestic fixture, Inter coach Frank De Boer is still at risk of losing his job in Milan after a poor season so far.
They have had a weak campaign in the Europa League and sit 10th in the Serie A table, which is nowhere near where the Inter management would like to be.
A loss to Sampdoria on Sunday, therefore, could spell disaster for the 46-year-old Dutch tactician, especially with some key European ties coming up as well as the ever-important Derby della Madonnina.
5. Roma’s first place hopes
We mentioned earlier the top-of-the-table clash between Juventus and Napoli, but 90 minutes in Empoli on Sunday afternoon could make that clash irrelevant.
Roma are after their fifth-straight Serie A victory this season when they visit the Azzurri, and they go into the match knowing that they will definitely top the table at the end of this round if they win and Juventus don’t.
This three-horse race will no doubt continue throughout the season, but La Vecchia Signora might lost their current top spot by the end of the weekend.
Empoli will be in the mood to prevent that, however, as they currently sit in the relegation zone and need a win this weekend if they want to maintain their hopes of staying up this season.
