30-01-2011 15:00 Inter - Palermo

Getting Back Into Form

Inter bounced back from last weekend's 3-1 hammering by Udinese in Udine with a victory over Napoli in the Coppa Italia in midweek. However, progression into the semi-finals of the Italian Cup came only on penalties as the Nerazzurri failed to find the target in 120 minutes of football.

Nevertheless, it was the victory that Leonardo's Scudetto hopefuls needed to regain their confidence. Last weekend's encounter against Udinese was defined by the 41-year-old Brazilian as "truly the toughest test we’ve had yet" and having failed miserably at the Stadio Friuli, midweek's win against second-placed Napoli should be something of a harbinger of optimism.

Palermo, though, pose a difficult challenge and facing three strong and confident sides in succession will be a massive test for Leonardo as well as a recovering Inter team. The Beneamata had started their era under the Brazilian with five competitive wins in a row and it will be interesting to note whether they can embark on a similar run again.

The Adventure Continues

Palermo's 2010-11 campaign continues to be an adventure as the Sicilians progressed to the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia in midweek after defeating Parma on penalties at home. It was the Rosanero's second win in a row after last weekend's 1-0 victory over Brescia and kept them fighting them on two fronts.

Palermo are currently outside the top six in Serie A at the moment as they have 34 points from 21 matches, but being just a solitary point behind Juventus in sixth and three behind fourth-placed Lazio, the Aquile are very much in the running for a Champions League place.

Delio Rossi's side, though, need to improve their record on their travels as they have won just three out of ten league encounters away from home. Palermo's last away win in the league came in late November and they lost their last match on the road, losing 3-1 to Cagliari in Sardinia.

TEAM NEWS

Inter

Sneijder, Samuel, Julio Cesar and Milito are injured. New signing Pazzini too is unavailable. Stankovic, Chivu and Cordoba are suspended.

Palermo

Hernandez, Pinilla and Goian are injured and will miss the trip to Milan. Carrozzieri remains suspended.

Prediction

Inter have struggled since last weekend and qualified for the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia only on penalties. Against a dangerous Palermo side the Nerazzurri could struggle again but the home advantage should count in their favour.

Inter Milan 2-1 Palermo

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30-01-2011 15:00 Genoa - Parma

Desperate For A Win

The last time Genoa registered a victory in Serie A was way back in the first week of December when they destroyed relegation-candidates Lecce 3-1 away from home. Since then the Grifoni have lost two of the five league fixtures and are winless in six competitive games.

Genoa are currently in 14th place in the league standings with 24 points from 20 matches and are just five points above the dropzone. Relegation is not exactly a worry given the team that coach Davide Ballardini has at his disposal, but with positive results not coming for almost two months things are becoming a bit edgy for the Rossoblu.

Genoa's record at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris too needs improvement they have collected just 11 points out a possible 30 and have scored only eight times in those fixtures. They are in dire need of some inspiration to restore some respectability to their season and require all three points from this fixture.

Back In Form

Parma's 4-1 demolition of Juventus in their opening game of the new year conceived hopes of survival for the Ducali but subsequent defeats to Cagliari and Brescia seemed to have turned back the clock.

However, Pasquale Marino's side have run back into some good form in the last couple of matches as they defeated Catania 2-0 in Serie A last weekend and forced Palermo to a penalty shoot-out win in their Coppa Italia quarter-final tie in Sicily.

Parma are in a mid-table slot with 25 points from 21 matches and are six points above the dropzone. Encouragingly, the Gialloblu are above Bologna, Genoa and Chievo in the table and being back in form, they will be confident of a good result in Genoa.

TEAM NEWS

Genoa

Antonelli and Hallenius are out injured for Genoa.

Parma

Pisano is unavailable because of injury while Zaccardo and Paci are out suspended.

Prediction

Genoa will head into this encounter as the favourites of the two sides to collect all the points. Parma will give the Grifoni a chase for their money but the hosts should eventually come up with the goods.

Genoa 2-0 Parma

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30-01-2011 15:00 Cagliari - Bari

Mid-Table Security

Last weekend Cagliari lost 3-0 to Roma in Rome in Serie A but peeling off the initial layer of disappointment, one would find some encouragement. The Sardinians' performance against the Scudetto-chasing side was laudable as they did force the Lupi to defend desperately at times.

At the moment the Isolani are perched on 10th spot with 26 points from 21 matches, a healthy seven points above the relegation zone but a considerable nine points off a Europa League spot. Mid-table comfort is what Roberto Donadoni's side would have aimed for at the start of the 2010-11 campaign and mid-table security is what they have at the moment.

However, Cagliari should still try and climb up the charts so as to increase the gulf between them and the bottom-three. The Rossoblu have looked comfortable at home, having won five league fixtures at the Stadio Sant'Elia. Their last match in front of their own supporters ended in a 3-1 destruction of Europe-chasing Palermo.

It's All Over

Bari's relegation from Serie A remains a formality. With 14 points from 21 matches, the Galletti are six points adrift of safety and having won just one in 16 league matches they are in a wretched run of result.

Last weekend's 2-0 defeat to Napoli in front of their own supporters was the Biancorossi's fourth in a row in the new year, which started on a positive note as Lecce were finished off by a single goal.

Bari's performance haven't improved either and having won just once on the road all season in the league they will have little prospect of registering a victory in Sardinia against a confident Cagliari side.

TEAM NEWS

Cagliari

Nainggolan and Conti are suspended.

Bari

Ghezzal, Salvatore Masiello and Barreto are out injured for Bari while Parisi is suspended.

Prediction

Another defeat is in the offing for Bari as Cagliari should bag all three points in Sardinia.

Cagliari 2-0 Bari

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30-01-2011 15:00 Bologna - Roma

Climbing Up The Table

Bologna commenced the 2010-11 campaign as one of the relegation candidates but heading into Week 22 the Felsinei seem to have created quite a gulf between themselves and the bottom-three.

Last weekend Alberto Malesani's side destroyed Lazio 3-1 at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara to bounce back from back-to-back defeats to Inter and Napoli. This means that Bologna are currently placed 13th in the Serie A standings with 25 points from 21 matches, a healthy six points above the bottom-three.

Bologna have a formidable record at home as they have lost just once in the league all season in front of their own supporters. Having got the better of Lazio last weekend, this time the Rossoblu will be confident of dishing out a similar fare to another Roman side, whom they had held to a 2-2 draw in Rome in the reverse fixture in September.

In Full Throttle

Much has been made of Milan's supreme strikeforce, Napoli's restoration of fortune under Walter Mazzarri, Udinese's scintillating football but amidst all this, Roma have carried on with the task of chasing the titles and the trophies.

On Thursday evening Claudio Ranieri's side defeated Juventus 2-0 in Turin to secure their place in the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia. It was their fourth competitive win in succession and fifth of the new year. Last weekend Roma defeated Cagliari 3-0 to lift themselves up to third in the league standings on 38 points, six behind leaders Milan.

The Lupi's away form, though, remains unconvincing as they have won just thrice on the road in Serie A all season. Against a Bologna side who destroyed their city-rivals Lazio last weekend, Roma should be careful and play with respect for the opposition.

TEAM NEWS

Bologna

Ramirez is injured and will miss the game. Portanova, Perez, Gimenez and Moras are suspended. Di Vaio will be played as the lone striker upfront in a 4-1-4-1 system.

Roma

Pizarro and Adriano are injured and will miss the trip to Bologna. Totti and Borriello will be the two forwards in a 4-3-1-2 formation with Menez deployed behind them.

Prediction

Bologna have proved themselves to be strong at home and destroyed Lazio last weekend. Roma would be a tougher proposition but the hosts should be good enough to garner a point at least.

Bologna 1-1 Roma

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30-01-2011 12:30 Brescia - Chievo Verona

Walking On Thin Ice

Brescia's future remains wrapped in uncertainty as the Rondinelle play hide and seek with the relegation octopus. Two weeks ago Mario Beretta's side defeated fellow relegation candidates Parma 2-0 at home to collect maximum points but lost 1-0 to Palermo last weekend in Sicily.

The Biancoazzurri remain second from bottom in Serie A with 18 points from 21 matches but being just two points from safety, hope of a last-ditch survival attempt continues to flourish. Brescia have won just one of their last five league matches but do have an encouraging record at home, having won four and drawn two of the ten Serie A encounters at the Mario Rigamonti.

Earlier this season in the reverse fixture Brescia defeated Chievo 1-0 in Verona. At the time, though, the Leonessa were in the midst of positive results and were hopeful of not getting entrenched in a relegation dogfight, but this time things are different.

Winning Is Obsolete

Chievo seem to have become the draw specialists in the Italian top flight. Not only have the Flying Donkeys drawn nine times in the league this campaign, they have also been involved in six goalless matches in Serie A and have plummeted towards the relegation zone.

Currently stationed in 15th in the league standings with 24 points from 21 matches, Chievo are just five points above the dropzone and having not won in eight league matches and nine competitive fixture, they are radically becoming relegation-material.

Chievo have won just twice on the road in the league all season and, more agonisngly, have never returned from Brescia with maximum points. Interestingly, Stefano Pioli's side have managed no clean sheet in this fixture but having lost to Brescia back in September they will be out for revenge.


TEAM NEWS

Brescia

Dallamano, Sereni, Vass and Taddei are injured and out of this fixture. Berardi is suspended.

Chievo

Luciano is unavailable for the game against Brescia. Cesar is suspended.

Prediction

This is a tough game to call as both sides are fighting against relegation and would make it hard for each other. One suspects that whichever side performs on the day will end up with the points, and given Chievo's disappointing run of results of late Brescia could just about eke out all three points as they are at home.

Brescia 2-1 Chievo

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