Title rivals go head to head in Italian Serie A

The picture at the Serie A summit could look a little clearer following this weekend’s matches as four of the top five clash in direct top-of-the-table encounters.

Champions and leaders Inter Milan travel to fifth-placed Genoa who could go top with a victory if other results go their way.

In Turin third-placed Juventus host Fiorentina, below them by just one place and goal difference.

The biggest game, though, takes place in Genoa where Inter have already lost once this season having been defeated 1-0 by Sampdoria — second behind Inter on goal difference and travelling to the capital Rome to face Lazio on Sunday.

The clash has an intriguing sub-plot as Inter poached Genoa’s two best players in the close season, paying out big money to prise away Argentine striker Diego Milito and Brazilian midfielder Thiago Motta.

In return Genoa signed veteran Argentine forward Hernan Crespo from the nerazzurri and he will be desperate to put one over his former employers having found himself surplus to requirements in Milan in the summer.

He is certain to play a part, even if he starts on the bench, whereas both Milito and Motta are out of the clash with injury.

Without those two, Inter could be feeling a little more vulnerable than usual as they have been far from dominant this season, despite leading the league.

Apart from the defeat at Sampdoria, they were held at the San Siro by Bari and needed an injury time strike to beat Udinese 2-1 at home last time out.

They have also failed to register a win yet in the Champions League after matches against Barcelona and Rubin Kazan.

Although they won 2-0 at Genoa last season, they will surely miss the input of five-goal top scorer Milito and Genoa will feel they are there for the taking.

Inter club captain Javier Zanetti knows things will be tough in the coming week as Inter host Dynamo Kiev and former AC Milan star Andrei Shevchenko on Tuesday in Europe’s Premier competition.

“We’re expecting two difficult matches, in the league against Genoa and then in Europe against Dynamo Kiev,” he said.

“We know that playing Genoa in front of their own fans is never easy but we want to do well and maintain top spot.”

In Turin Juve’s Brazilian midfielder Felipe Melo will come up against the employers he left in the summer.

Fiorentina midfielder pair Marco Marchionni and Cristiano Zanetti will be in an identical situation but all eyes will likely be on La Viola striker Alberto Gilardino, Italy’s midweek hat-trick hero against Cyprus.

In fact it is the strikers who will generate most interest as Juve’s Vincenzo Iaquinta is currently Italy’s first choice forward while team-mate Amauri, a Brazilian, is trying to get international clearance to play for Italy.

All three will be hoping to impress to further their own international aims.

Meanwhile one midtable clash will spark plenty of interest as it probably should have been the plum tie of the weekend.

Struggling AC Milan, 12th, host eighth-placed AS Roma in what many would have thought at the beginning of the season could be an early test of each team’s title aspirations.

Instead it has become a match that both must win and neither can afford to lose if they hold any hopes of keeping pace with the early front runners with Roma five points and Milan seven points behind Inter.

However a defeat for either would open up a more ominous looking gap but perhaps points is not either team’s primary problem.

Roma have the joint worst defence in the league alongside Napoli while only the bottom two have scored fewer than Milan.

With Roma’s shoddy defence up against Milan’s impotent attack, something will have to give this weekend and could kick-start either team’s season.

Fixtures:

Saturday

Genoa v Inter Milan, Juventus v Fiorentina

Sunday

AC Milan v AS Roma, Catania v Cagliari, Chievo v Bari, Lazio v Sampdoria, Livorno v Palermo, Napoli v Bologna, Parma v Siena, Udinese v Atalanta