Struggling Romans tackle high-flying Milanese

Champions Inter Milan host AS Roma at the San Siro at the weekend while AC Milan travel to the capital to take on Lazio as the Serie A title race reaches a key stage.

In the not so distant past these would have been two top-of-the-table clashes between teams fighting for the title.

But that’s not the way things have been going this season. Inter are top and, despite a indifferent start, Milan are up and running and up to fourth.

In Rome, however, this season has gone from bad to worse. Roma and Lazio sit 14th and 15th with just six wins between them in a combined 22 matches.

Roma were expecting to get back to challenging for the scudetto after finishing a disappointing sixth in the last campaign following three runners-up finishes in a row.

And cup holders Lazio would have been expecting to make a run at a top four finish.

Instead, they are both in disarray. Luciano Spalletti quit as Roma boss after just two games and despite beginning his Roma career well with successive victories, Claudio Ranieri’s team lost three on the bounce before last weekend’s narrow 2-1 success against Bologna.

A title challenge is out of the question — they have only half the points of Inter — and even a fight for a top four finish and Champions League football next season looks unlikely.

Lazio look more likely to be involved in a relegation dog-fight, sitting currently only two points above the drop zone.

And this weekend neither of them can even rely on their opponents being fatigued from their Champions League exertions as both Roma and Lazio played in the Europa League on Thursday and will have had less rest than the two Milan clubs.

Roma’s task is the most daunting against a team already seven points clear at the top and who went to the head of a Champions League group containing holders Barcelona on Wednesday after a stunning late comeback to beat Dynamo Kiev 2-1.

It was Inter’s first win in Europe in a year and according to Ghana midfielder Sulley Muntariit has been a big boost to their confidence, something Roma won’t be wanting to hear.

“This victory can give us a huge psychological boost, it sends our morale to the stars,” he said.

“We hadn’t won in the Champions League for a long time and we’re really happy. Now we have to be careful in the next games, both in the league and in the cups.”

Milan meanwhile need to keep their recent improvement going if they are to continue to cling gingerly onto Inter’s coat-tails.

They trail their city rivals by nine points and although they are unbeaten in six league games, they drew three of those.

Lazio may be struggling but Milan have hardly impressed against the minnows this season.

They drew away to both Atalanta and Livorno and needed an Alessandro Nesta winner deep into injury time — just moments after a stunning Dida save prevented them from losing — to beat Chievo.

Full-back Ignazio Abate insists his team won’t be taking the Sky Blues lightly.

“We have to go to the Stadio Olimpico to try to take home three points,” he said.

“We’re in good shape, we’re playing good football but we want to improve our position in the table.”

Elsewhere second-placed Juventus travel to Atalanta while Napoli can go fourth, for a day at least, if they win at Catania on Saturday.

Fixtures

Saturday

Atalanta v Juventus, Catania v Napoli

Sunday

Bari v Livorno, Bologna v Palermo, Cagliari v Sampdoria, Genoa v Siena, Inter Milan v AS Roma, Lazio v AC Milan, Parma v Chievo, Udinese v Fiorentina