Italian League: a view on upcoming round
LONDON, April 26 (DS)
By Stewart Coggin
Of the three title contenders, it is Roma who have the toughest task as they entertain Chievo Verona at the Stadio Delle Alpi.
Last weekend they squandered the chance to go level on points with Inter at the top after drawing 0-0 with Milan. A draw at the San Siro against the Rossoneri would usually be considered a good result, but Fabio Capello's side really needed all three points last weekend. How close they came to getting them, too. Had Vincenzo Montella converted a good chance from close-range right at the death, we may be looking at the new Scudetto favourites.
After last season's heroics, the Giallorossi have failed to hit the heights. Away from home they haven't looked the side that won an impressive ten games on the way to the Serie A title last season, while as a creative force, they tend to look clueless without the excellent Francesco Totti. Gabriel Batistuta is having his worst Serie A season on record, Marco Delvecchio is in the most wretched goalscoring form of his career, and young Antonio Cassano has not been a regular starter and will most likely be shipped out on loan next season.
Inter Milan will be looking to recover from last week's disappointing 2-2 draw with Chievo when they entertain Piacenza at the San Siro. This week general manager Gabriele Oriali intensified the bitter war of words with Juventus when stating that his counterpart Luciano Moggi had lacked respect when criticising Nerazzurri chief Massimo Moratti. The Inter president had suggested that Ronaldo should have had a penalty against Chievo. Coming hot on the heels of his outburst the previous week where he insinuated that all was not as it should be in Serie A, Moggi suggested that Inter (read Moratti) should be ashamed about all their public griping.
Moggi's Juve also have a winnable looking game as they play host to Brescia. However, with the return of Roberto Baggio to his former ground, this clash is no longer the home banker it once appeared. The 'Divine Ponytail' returned with a bang last week after missing almost three months of the season when he netted twice in his side's 3-0 win over Fiorentina. It may have arrived too late for him to push his way into Giovanni Trapattoni's World Cup squad, but for Brescia it is a real boost as they need all the points they can get.
Of course, Juve's need is just as great. Last week they moved into second place after a superb Pavel Nedved strike gave them a 1-0 win over Piacenza. How galling it would be for the Old Lady if they were to finish second for a fourth time in as many years. However, with Inter facing a final day clash at Champions League chasers Lazio, the smart money may just be on Juve breaking their hoodoo.
Despite their healthy position, the season has not gone to plan. Defensively they haven't always looked sure of themselves, with Lillian Thuram failing to justify his ?24 million price-tag. The French international has by no means been a flop but the Bianconeri would nonetheless have been looking for more for their money. It's also well known that he is far from happy in his right-back position, and wants to revert to centre-back where he had so many good years with Parma.
Milan travel to Verona this weekend knowing that only a win will do if they are to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League. It's well known that the Rossoneri aren't in a good financial state and, therefore, Champions League football is a must. Otherwise there's surely no way they'll be able to repeat last year's summer spending of over ?80 million. Looking back at that hefty sum, what exactly did they get for their money? Manuel Rui Costa has performed below all expectations, Javi Moreno hasn't been give a fair crack of the whip, Andrea Pirlo has been in and out of the side, while Cosmin Contra wants to return to Spain.
Elsewhere, Lazio must really avoid defeat in their clash with Bologna if they are to qualify for the Champions League, while Parma travel to Fiorentina.