FOURTH PLACE

Napoli : Inter (H), Bologna (A), Siena (H), Roma (A)
Milan : Torino (H), Pescara (A), Roma (H), Siena (A)
Fiorentina : Roma (H), Siena (A), Palermo (H), Pescara (A)

Three points guarantees Napoli a Champions League place and with struggling Inter and Siena upcoming it's inconceivable they'll blow it.

A month ago Milan were looking good for second place but criminal officiating cost them three points against Fiorentina and they have stuttered in Balotelli's absence. The Roma game should decide their fate

Fiorentina's Champions League credentials will get a serious examination next week against Roma and in Siena and Palermo they'll be facing teams fighting for their Serie A status. Needless to say they can't afford any slips-ups but unlike Milan, there's no pressure on them to finish third

RELEGATION

Although with 36 points 16th place Torino are 7 points from guaranteed safety at this stage a four point lead over the two teams below them looks to be enough to stay in Serie A

Palermo : Juventus (A), Udinese (H), Fiorentina (A), Parma (H)
Genoa : Pescara (A), Torino (A), Inter (H), Bologna (A)
Siena : Catania (A), Fiorentina (H), Napoli (A), Milan (A)

Palermo's recent form is excellent and they have the firepower to trouble any team but have a very difficult run in. A win against Udinese should be enough to see off the challenge of Genoa for 17th place

Genoa won for the first time in six games this week and therein lies their problem although they have an easier ruin in than Palermo

Siena would be safe but for their points deduction. They couldn't have wished for a more difficult run in.


28 April 2013

CHIEVO 0
GENOA 1 (Borriello 73)

Attendance : 10,000
Assist : Rigoni (ck)


PALERMO 1 (Ilicic 10)
INTER 0

The game wasn't notable for Ilicic's goal, a simple shot into the right corner from a Miccoli lay off, but for a potential career ending injury for Inter captain Javier Zanetti. He collided with Aronica and was stretchered off on 17 minutes. It was later revealed he snapped his left achilles tendon and given his age (39) there are doubts as to his ability to make a full recovery. It's no secret I don't really rate the guy but he has a tremendous work ethic and would die for the club colours. If this is to be his last game it will be a sad end to his career.

Attendance : 17,000
Assist : Miccoli


PARMA 0
LAZIO 0

Attendance : 13,000
Red Card : Biava 94 (Lazio)
Assists : n/a


ROMA 4 (Osvaldo 14, Lamela 16, Osvaldo 41, Osvaldo 67)
SIENA 0

A great reverse pass sent Osvaldo away for the first. Totti chipped a glorious first time pass into the Siena penalty area and Lamela waited for it to drop over his shoulder before firing a volley past Pegolo. Florenzi shrugged off Angelo as he wrestled to a control a Totti pass before pulling back a centre for Osvaldo's second and he completed his hat-trick with a tap-in after Pegolo saved from Totti.

Attendance : 40,000
Assists : Lamela, Totti, Florenzi, n/a


SAMPDORIA 0
FIORENTINA 3 (Cuadrado 36, Ljajic 42, Aquilani 73)

Cuadrado took a touch to control Pizarro's pass and from 35 yards out arrowed a right foot shot into the bottom right corner. Great strike. Ljajic punished a sloppy clearance in the Sampdoria defence to continue his good scoring run before laying on the third for the man who puts the light in lightweight - Aquilani.

Attendance : 23,000
Red Card : Gastaldello 80 (Sampdoria)
Assists : Pizarro, n/a, Ljajic


TORINO 0
JUVENTUS 2 (Vidal 86, Marchisio 92)

Vidal bounced a deflected cross off his chest before lashing a volley into the bottom left corner. Quagliarella headed a Pirlo free kick across goal and Marchisio completed an expected derby win to put Juve within a point of their 29th scudetto.

Attendance : 27,000
Red Card : Glik 90 (Torino)
Assists : n/a, Quagliarella


MILAN 4 (Flamini 45, Pazzini 74, Pazzini 77, Balotelli 92 Pen)
CATANIA 2 (Legrottaglie 30, Bergessio 65)

Catania took the lead against the run of play from an un-defendable Lodi free kick of course having the giant Legrottaglie to aim at helps. Boateng chested down an Abate cross and Flamini fired into the right corner, scoring for the third successive game. Milan had over 70% possession at stages of the game but were leaving gaps as they were encamped in the Catania half. Abate was caught out of position as Nocerino lost the ball near the half way line, Bergessio played a fantastic ball in between Flamini and Abate and as Amelia ran off his line Bergessio sent a lob over his head. Catania's reserve goalkeeper Frison was having a superb goal but parried Balotelli's speculative shot and Pazzini, on as a substitute for the awful Nocerino, tapped in the rebound. Three minutes later he turned the game on it's head, tapping in another rebound after Frison saved from El Shaarawy. Balotelli dived to win the penalty.

Attendance : 37,853
Assists : Lodi (fk), Boateng, Bergessio, n/a, n/a, Balotelli (won pen)


27 April 2013

CAGLIARI 0
UDINESE 1 (Pereyra 56)

Attendance : 3,000
Assist : Domizzi


ATALANTA 1 (Giorgi 67)
BOLOGNA 1 (Gilardino 76)

Curci tipped out a Brivio cross but Giorgi volleyed in the rebound. Gilardino made the most of a lucky bounce to earn Bologna a share of the points in this meeting between two teams that are mired in mid-table mediocrity.

Attendance : 14,000
Assists : n/a, n/a


PESCARA 0
NAPOLI 3 (Inler 46, Pandev 58, Dzemaili 81)

Cavani was missing through suspension so Napoli's midfielders came to the fore. Pescara held out until the second half when Inler's deflected shot wrong footed Pelizzoli. Pandev spun onto Maggio's centre before tapping in the second. Dzemaili completed a routine victory with a trademark howitzer from distance.

Attendance : 17,000
Assists : n/a, Maggio, Insigne