High scoring Genoa versus defensive masters Bari should provide a fascinating spectacle at Marassi.

The visitors have taken to Serie A like a duck to water, in much the same manner their hosts did on their return to the top flight two years ago. In fact, Genoa are perfect role models for Bari, given how quickly they have made the transition from plucky new boys to European contenders.

Nonetheless Biancorossi boss Giampiero Ventura is unlikely to entertain any thoughts of glory before safety has been definitively secured.

Ventura deserves huge credit for inspiring his squad to some shock results, having been hurriedly appointed in the wake of Antonio Conte’s departure last summer. Last week’s 3-1 win over Juventus was the high point of what has been an incredible season for the Galletti.

Serie A is incredibly tight at present, with just two points separating nine teams, from Roma in 5th to Palermo in 13th. These sides are right in the middle of the maelstrom, with the same points total but separated by four positions. Bari are 6th, whilst Genoa are 10th.

Gian Piero Gasperini's Grifone are in desperate need of consistency, perhaps due to the exertions of their Europa League campaign. In recent weeks they have thrashed Siena and local rivals Sampdoria, but fallen to defeats at Livorno and Lazio.

Their home record remains formidable though – the 5-0 reverse against Inter is their only defeat at the Luigi Ferraris in all competitions this season.

As for Bari they will hope this visit is more fortuitous than their last trip to Genoa. They missed a penalty and had a perfectly valid goal ruled out in the dying stages of their 0-0 draw with Sampdoria in November.

Genoa’s Houssine Kharja, Bosko Jankovic, Andrea Esposito, Francesco Modesto and Sokratis Papastathopoulos are all injured. Salvatore Bocchetti sits out a one-match ban.

Bari will be without the injured Mariano Donda, Matteo Paro, Salvatore Masiello and Vitali Kutuzov.

Keep an eye on: Raffaele Palladino (Genoa) – The former Juve youth has been sharp this term with some important goals to go with his customary delightful skills. Must maintain his performance levels if he is to make the World Cup squad though.

Last five in Serie A: Genoa (W L W D L) Bari (W L W L W)

Last season: Not played

Genoa (probable): Scarpi; Biava, Moretti, Criscito; Rossi, Juric, Milanetto, Mesto; Palladino, Sculli, Palacio

Bari (probable): Gillet; A Masiello, Ranocchia, Bonucci, Parisi; Alvarez, Donati, Almiron, Allegretti; Meggiorini, Barreto

Prediction from Kappara.ru : Bari (+1) , Bari to score goal , total goals in match over 2

Думаю что Дженоа будет уставшей после рубиловки с Валенсией
Дженоа лёгкая контратакующая команда которая способна даже выиграть этот матч тем самым закрепив успех после победы над Юве . Хотя рождество ведь и по идее домашние команды должны рулить
 для своих зрителей .
Бари забьет гол 1.5 , фора 2 (+1) если не пройдёт то возврат потому что Дженоа будут уставшими

These old allies won’t be in the mood to do each other any favours in the last fixture before the winter break.

For Inter it’s a case of consolidating their League leadership going into the New Year, thereby giving them a little breathing space to focus on finally making inroads in the Champions League.

There really isn’t any room for complacency though, especially considering the Nerazzurri have won just two of their last five in Serie A. Despite only drawing 1-1 at Atalanta last weekend Jose Mourinho’s men extended their lead over Milan to five points.

As for Lazio they will want to make sure last week’s 1-0 win over Genoa was a significant turning point and not a false dawn. It was the Eagles’ first League win since way back in Week 2 and it bought under fire Coach Davide Ballardini some precious time.

It has been a disappointing season for Lazio fans – apart from anything else it’s been frightfully dull. The bizarre Biancocelesti have Serie A’s second worst attack and its second best defence, so goals have been at a premium at either end.

Both sides miss their biggest creative influences – Wesley Sneijder and Mauro Zarate. Sneijder is suspended due to his dismissal in Bergamo, whilst Zarate is also suspended after he accumulated one too many yellow cards.

Inter have comprehensively dominated this fixture in recent times, not losing a League match to the Romans since the 2003-04 season. Last season a Zlatan Ibrahimovic brace gave the Serpenti a 2-0 win, the scorer angrily silencing the home support, who had jeered him earlier, with his celebration.

Inter’s injury list contains Davide Santon, Walter Samuel, Ricardo Quaresma and Rene Khrin. Lazio miss Francelino Matuzalem, Cristian Brocchi, Ousmane Dabo and Simone Inzaghi.

Keep an eye on: Alexsandar Kolarov (Lazio) –‘The new Mihajlovic’, Kolarov has been quite simply immense for Lazio this term. He caused havoc in a new midfield role against Genoa, scoring the winner with a wonderful individual goal.

Last five in Serie A: Inter (D W W L D) Lazio (L D D L W)

Last season: Inter 2-0 Lazio

Inter (probable): Julio Cesar; Maicon, Cordoba, Lucio, Chivu; Zanetti, Cambiasso, Muntari, Stankovic; Eto’o, Milito

Lazio (probable): Muslera; Siviglia, Stendardo, Radu; Lichtsteiner, Firmani, Baronio, Mauri, Kolarov; Cruz, Rocchi

Kappara.ru predictions : Inter to win , Inter over 1.5 goals

Думаю что Интер возьмёт своё и вернёт тот проигранный никому не нужный суперкубок Италии . Тогда много вони было о том как Мауриньо проиграл этот кубок сказав всем что он ему и нафиг не нужен .
Вполне допускаю счет типа 5-0 и смена тренерского состава в Лацио . 

Juventus have no option but to win against Catania after two dreadful defeats to Bayern Munich and Bari. But the Sicilians are desperate for points too…

The Bianconeri are going through a period of crisis following their Champions League elimination and their shock 3-1 defeat in Puglia. Ex-director Roberto Bettega is set to return to Turin in order to help Ciro Ferrara, but the Coach’s time is running out as Guus Hiddink and Roberto Mancini have been linked with the Old Lady.

“We can still win the Scudetto,” claimed Diego. But the fans are concerned neither him nor his Brazilians teammates, Felipe Melo and Amauri, are doing enough on and off the pitch.

“I think in terms of quality there isn’t much difference between us and Inter. Our squads are on the same level. Against Bari we played well but we were just unlucky,” added the former Werder Bremen ace.

Catania are bottom of the table and in desperate shape. Gianluca Atzori was fired last week but Sinisa Mihajlovic has been unable to change their luck so far. Last Sunday they lost by a goal to relegation rivals Livorno. “It’s sad to lose this way,” noted the Serbian. “I don’t think we deserved to lose because the Amaranto only had one shot on target.”

Ferrara will be forced to make several changes starting from Gigi Buffon, out for 40 days, and Mauro Camoranesi, whose injury may compromise his World Cup hopes.

Alexander Manninger will play in goal while Melo returns in midfield as Christian Poulsen is suspended. Amauri is not at his best so David Trezeguet and Alex Del Piero will start.

Catania will be without their best man Giuseppe Mascara, who is suspended. The Etnei should stick to a 4-2-3-1 strategy with Adrian Ricchiuti stepping in for Mascara behind Taka Morimoto, but their approach is set to be incredibly defensive.

Last year they managed to win a point at the Olimpico and will be looking to repeat the same kind of display this time around.

Keep an eye on: Diego (Juventus) – After missing a penalty against Bari, the Brazilian must prove he is worth his hefty transfer fee. Juve have been waiting long enough so it is time to show his true potential.

Last five in Serie A: Juventus (W W L W L) Catania (D D L L L)

Last season: Juventus 1-1 Catania

Juventus (probable): Manninger; Caceres, Cannavaro, Legrottaglie, Grosso; Melo, Tiago, Marchisio; Diego; Trezeguet, Del Piero

Catania (probable): Andujar; Alvarez, Silvestre, Terlizzi, Capuano; Carboni, Biagianti; Martinez, Ledesma, Ricchiuti; Morimoto

Kappara predictios :  Uventus (-1) , Uventus over 1.5

После поражения от Бари и Баварии с неприличными счетами думаю что Юве выложится по полной чтобы их зрителям было приятно праздновать рождество .
Победа Юве с форой (-1) , Ювентус больше 1.5

Livorno finally returned to winning ways at the weekend, but this clash against Sampdoria is set to be problematic for the Labronici. The Blucerchiati are struggling at the moment and desperately need points.

On Sunday the Amaranto won a six-pointer against relegation rivals Catania. Their victory came unexpectedly after a far from entertaining game – but the three points were all that mattered. On Wednesday they also lost to Inter in the Coppa Italia, a competition which was not a priority for them.

“Survival this year is really hard to achieve, we all know it,” revealed boss Serse Cosmi. “I liked the way we played against Catania. We were missing so many players, still we managed to play well. Our physical condition also improved.”

After a great start, Sampdoria are now struggling to keep up with their early season achievements. The Liguri have collected several defeats in recent times and were held by Roma at the weekend. They now sit sixth in the table.

“To get a draw against Roma was a good thing,” noted Coach Luigi Del Neri. “We were coming from a difficult time after the heavy derby defeat. The fans stayed close to us and my men played the way I asked them to. I now think we are over our crisis.”

Livorno remain without their star man Cristiano Lucarelli, suspended for a week, as well as the injured Francesco Tavano and Fabio Galante. Tomas Danilivecius will continue to play up front while Nico Pulzetti should make it in the starting formation despite picking up a minor injury during the week.

Stefano Lucchini and Andrea Poli will be out for Doria due to suspension. But Del Neri has now recovered Franco Semioli, who should make a difference on the right flank. Fernando Tissone will also start in midfield.

Keep an eye on: Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria) – The former Fiorentina striker had a great start to the season but has been slowing down a bit recently. He needs to rediscover his scoring instinct if he is to convince Marcello Lippi to take him to South Africa next summer.

Last five in Serie A: Livorno (L W L L W) Sampdoria (L W L L D)

Last season: Not played

It’s a direct head-to-head for Europa League spots, as these two on-form clubs are currently locked together on 24 points.

Napoli expected more from their season but, considering the awful start under Roberto Donadoni, it is already impressive to be in joint seventh place. Still unbeaten under Walter Mazzarri, they have made a habit of scoring last gasp goals and proved it again with last week’s dramatic 3-3 draw at Cagliari. The Partenopei have now picked up 10 of their total 17 points with Mazzarri at the helm by netting late strikes.

Chievo are also in fine fettle after three consecutive victories, including a 2-1 over Champions League success story Fiorentina last week. They fought back from a goal down to defeat the Viola and climb into the fight for a European spot. One of the scorers, defender Gennaro Sardo, is likely to miss out with an injury, joining Fabio Moro and Nicolas Frey on the treatment table. Michele Marcolini is back from suspension.

Ezequiel Lavezzi sits out a ban for Napoli, having been sent off for kicking the ball at Cagliari Coach Massimiliano Allegri. Hugo Campagnaro and reserve goalkeeper Gennaro Iezzo are sidelined, so German Denis should take over from Pocho upfront. Marek Hamsik provides support for the rediscovered Fabio Quagliarella. Suspension is over for Matteo Contini and Leandro Rinaudo, the latter returning after a three-match ban for his ugly scuffle with Lazio’s Julio Cruz.

The last time these sides met was the final round of the 2008-09 season and represented Chievo’s only ever Serie A trip to Naples. In total the Flying Donkeys have beaten Napoli once, 2-1 at the Bentegodi last term, drawn one and lost four. Their San Paolo record is of two defeats and a stalemate in which they scored two goals and conceded six.

Keep an eye on: Fabio Quagliarella (Napoli) – With Lavezzi suspended, even more of the pressure falls on Quagliagol’s shoulders at the San Paolo. He seems to have put his nightmare start behind him and bagged a brace in the 3-2 victory over Bari here a fortnight ago.

Last five in Serie A: Napoli (D D D W D) Chievo (L L W W W)

Last season: Napoli 3-0 Chievo

Napoli (probable): De Sanctis; Grava, Cannavaro, Contini; Maggio, Gargano, Pazienza, Aronica; Hamsik; Quagliarella, Denis

Chievo (probable): Sorrentino; Malagò, Morero, Yepes, Mantovani; Luciano, Rigoni, Pinzi; Bentivoglio; Pellissier, Abbruscato

Kappara.Ru verdict : total over 2  1.6

Любимая ставка на Наполи тотал больше 2 . Наполи подвижная команда которая любит устраивать неимоверные комбеки со счета 0-2 . Кьево тоже без пары пропущенных или забитых не ирает . Короче тотал больше 2 за 1.6 в Пиннекле

Both sides have rediscovered their form under new management, but who will keep flying between Delio Rossi and Alberto Malesani?

A change of Coach doesn’t always have the desired effect, but it certainly seems to have worked at these clubs. Palermo have new confidence under Rossi and never was that clearer than in last week’s 2-0 victory away to Milan.

Conquering San Siro is never easy, let alone against a side that was unbeaten in Serie A since September and won its last five games. Fabrizio Miccoli was the star turn with a goal and an assist, so if he keeps up this kind of form then a World Cup recall is not out of the question.

Siena were in dire straits when Marco Baroni became the second tactician to be fired this term, but Malesani is turning them around. With two wins on the trot against Catania and Udinese, they are now off the foot of the table and brimming with newfound bravado. Both those games were at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, though, so this’ll be a tough test of their mentality away from home.

“I’m not a hero,” assured Malesani. “Before even being considered for that title I’d need to save Siena from relegation. I can finally see a club that is united in all its elements, including players and fans. We’re improving every day in terms of performance and confidence.”

Simone Vergassola is sidelined along with long-term absentees Francesco Parravicini and Luca Rossettini. It’s a special game for Siena striker Emanuele Calaiò, who is a native of Palermo yet never got to play with the Rosanero jersey on his back.

Rossi has a full Palermo squad to choose from with the end of Giulio Migliaccio’s ban and Edinson Cavani will be particularly eager to impress after talk of a January move to Inter. Javier Pastore has been very poor in his debut Serie A season, yet still earned a call-up for Argentina’s friendly next week, earning his place alongside Leo Messi and Gonzalo Higuain.

Curiously, this fixture has never ended in a Serie A draw in all five editions with two away wins – the most recent 3-2 in January 2008 – and three for the Sicilians. Miccoli won’t want to remember that loss, as he missed a penalty.

Keep an eye on: Fabrizio Miccoli (Palermo) – The ‘pocket striker’ is on fire at the moment and proved crucial in conquering San Siro last week. There is even talk of an Azzurri recall in time for the World Cup, though his last cap was in a 1-0 win over Finland on November 17 2004.

Last five in Serie A: Palermo (L D L W W) Siena (L L L W W)

Last season: Palermo 2-0 Siena

Palermo (probable): Sirigu; Cassani, Kjaer, Bovo, Balzaretti; Nocerino, Liverani, Bresciano; Simplicio; Cavani, Miccoli

Siena (probable): Curci; Rosi, Terzi, Brandao, Del Grosso; Jarolim, Codrea, Ekdal; Reginaldo, Calaiò, Maccarone

Prediction : total over 2 goals 1.55

Не знаю то ждать от Палермо после победы над Миланом . Буд улыбаться когда они влетят Сиене пропустив более 1.5 гола .
просто тотал больше 2 и пусть играют .

With Roma and Parma battling it out for a place in Europe next year, this Sunday’s match looks set to be a Christmas cracker.

Both teams are the most in form in Italy at the moment, winning three and drawing two of their last five games in Serie A.

Crucial to this weekend’s match will be Roma’s condition after Wednesday’s victorious trip to CSKA Sofia in the final game of the Europa League group stages.

Francesco Totti was left in the capital to rest, but a number of first team regulars made the trip to Bulgaria in a bid to finish first in the group.

Simone Perrotta will also be missing on Sunday after receiving a one-match suspension from the League’s disciplinary commissioner.

Parma will naturally be looking to extend their three-point lead over Roma in the standings and could possibly catch Juventus if they win and the Bianconeri draw or lose at home to bottom of the table Catania.

The Gialloblu are this season’s revelation having lost just four of their opening 16 games since earning promotion from Serie B in May.

Everyone expects the dream to end but Francesco Guidolin’s side keeps showing heart and appears to be the perfect blend of youth and experience.

Parma went behind at home to Bologna on Sunday, but never gave up and staged a valiant second half comeback that saw them win 2-1.

Asked if results and good football can co-exist, Guidolin said: “The best way is only one and it’s difficult: focus on the result while trying to play well.”

Keep an eye on: Daniele Galloppa (Parma) – The former Roma youngster looks set to show the Giallorossi what they are missing. Galloppa has been instrumental to Parma’s success this season, everything goes through him, as demonstrated in the fact he touched the ball 106 times against Bologna on Sunday.

Last five in Serie A: Roma (W D W W D) Parma (W W D D W)

Last season: Not played

Roma (probable): Julio Sergio; Cassetti, Burdisso, Juan, Riise; De Rossi, Pizarro; Menez, Brighi, Vucinic; Totti

Parma (probable): Mirante; Zaccardo, Dellafiore, Panucci, Castellini; Dzemaili, Morrone, Galloppa; Biabiany, Amoruso, Antonelli

Prediction : Roma win

Тут тоже ничего конкретного сказать не могу . Парма крепкая в защите , но боюсь они пропустят гол и потом просто не смогут забить Роме . Рома уже несколько матчей играет на оборону
фора 1(0) мало , победа Ромы стрёмно , Рома больше 1.5 тоже не катит бо у римских команд какая то засуха с голами . Вучинич мяч остановить не может , Тотти вечно на траве лежит и штрафные просит . Рома сильнее , но не на столько чтобы входить в их победу со своей ставкой .
Лучше подождать пока они пропустят и 1х взять или что то типа такого .

This game has been postponed to a later date after heavy snowfall hit the Stadio Friuli.

Udinese will be hoping for a repeat of last year’s fixture when they trounced Cagliari 6-2 at Friuli. The Zebrette are engulfed in a real crisis and have only won three of their last 10 games, losing four of their last five.

Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to relegation threatened Siena was a new low, putting Pasquale Marino’s job at serious risk. The Zebrette currently lie 14th in Serie A, albeit a comfortable five points above the drop zone.

Marino is no stranger to runs of this nature. Around the same time last year Udinese went 11 games without a win before beating Juventus 2-1 after the winter break.

Whether Udinese owner Giampaolo Pozzo will persist with Marino is perhaps the more valid question, though. Former Napoli boss Edy Reja has been linked with the job and would be a popular choice coming from the same region of Italy.

Meanwhile, Cagliari are struggling for consistency but continue to play some of the best football in Serie A as demonstrated in Saturday’s 3-3 draw at home to Napoli.

The Rossoblu should have won when they came back from 2-0 down to lead 3-2 in injury time. However, Mariano Bogliacino’s 96th minute equaliser robbed them of two points and they are now without a win in two games.

A bonus for Cagliari boss Massimiliano Allegri comes in the form of Antonio Di Natale’s suspension. The 32-year-old Serie A top scorer was banned for two games last week after he threatened the referee following Udinese’s 2-1 defeat away to Bologna.

Keep an eye on: Alessandro Matri (Cagliari) – From playboy to serious player, Matri has scored in seven consecutive top-flight games, equalling a record held by Cagliari legend Gigi Riva. All eyes will be on the 25-year-old to see if he can go one better on Sunday.

Last five in Serie A: Udinese (L L W L L) Cagliari (W L W L D)

Last season: Udinese 6-2 Cagliari