The title race intersects with the battle for Champions League qualification in Italy this weekend when Inter host Atalanta and Roma welcome Juventus. Considering how little has separated the two leading contenders this season, these rounds where they each play tough opponents gain extra significance.
Inter are playing some sumptuous football at the moment but is there a team in the top 5 leagues that is better at playing the big hitters than Atalanta? Gianpiero Gasperini’s men come into the game in blistering form after a 5-0 thrashing of Parma. I can’t make a prediction with any confidence, but I am going to give Inter a slight edge at the San Siro. Likewise, I think the final scores didn’t accurately tell the story of Juve and Roma’s games last weekend. Again I am going with the champions marginally, only because they have with them match winners who can alter the course of a game even if Juve aren’t playing well. Regardless of the result, both games should be good to watch.
There’s also Lazio vs Napoli which almost always features a lot of goalmouth action. That its Lazio on the coattails of the leaders and Napoli in 8th, is the exact opposite of what most seasoned observers would have predicted before the season started. I can’t see Napoli course correcting at the Sadio Olimpico. Meanwhile gravity is pulling Cagliari back to their natural position, though I can see them making things really difficult for a Milan side that are in serious need of a shot in the arm. Final word goes to Sampdoria who host a relegation six-pointer against Brescia. Claudio Ranieri hasn’t lifted the gloom for Samp while Mario Balotelli keeps scoring but can’t get his beloved club out of the relegation zone. There’s a lot at stake this weekend.
Round 19 Picks
Cagliari 1 Milan 1
Lazio 3 Napoli 1
Inter 3 Atalanta 2
Udinese 1 Sassuolo 0
Fiorentina 2 SPAL 0
Torino 1 Bologna 1
Sampdoria 1 Brescia 2
Verona 1 Genoa 2
Roma 1 Juve 2
Parma 2 Lecce 0
Last Round Score - 3/10