Struggling Milan travel to one of the fortresses of Serie A – Sampdoria have not lost at home this season. Both teams are still chasing important targets, a draw won’t help either.

Morale is high in the Blucerchiati camp. They won the Derby against Genoa, fourth spot is a real possibility, and the tension between Coach Luigi Del Neri and star player Antonio Cassano seem to be a distant memory.

After back-to-back wins Del Neri is not going to make any big changes to his side. His minor headache comes from Daniele Gastaldello being banned – however there is a more than suitable replacement in Marco Rossi.

On Wednesday midfielder Andrea Poli suffered a nasty knock to his ankle in training, but despite initial fears of it being serious he should be starting against Milan. No prizes for guessing the Samp front line, Antonio Cassano and Giampaolo Pazzini have collected 21 goals between them this season, and after Milan’s recent defensive displays will be looking to increase that tally.

The primary rumours around Milanello this week have been about Leonardo’s departure in the summer. Despite these the Coach has stayed focused on his job and has reiterated his belief that Milan are still in the title race.

His remarkable determination, however, is equalled by his bad luck as another injury strikes his defensive department. Giuseppe Favalli was substituted against Catania and has been training alone all week, which suggest his unavailability this weekend.

Kakha Kaladze therefore should be given what is now a rare start alongside Thiago Silva, the latter’s play however has appeared to be conditioned by the fact he is one yellow away from a ban – he is one man Milan really cannot do without.

Andrea Pirlo is banned, Mathieu Flamini injured. Gennaro Gattuso and Massimo Ambrosini will have to enforce the midfield as Clarence Seedorf roams forwards behind the three strikers – these will almost certainly be once again Klaas Huntelaar, Marco Borriello and Ronaldinho.

Keep an eye on: Marco Borriello (Milan) – The Rossoneri are in trouble, they need 15 points from their last five games to even dream of winning the Scudetto. And the Rossoneri were in major trouble last weekend at home to Catania – 0-2 down after the first 45minutes was their worst nightmare, but they were dragged into the light by their Neapolitan striker, who salvaged a draw. With those two goals he is now Milan’s top scorer this season, though both he and the team know he must not stop now.

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

Last season: Sampdoria 2-1 Milan

Udinese and Bologna aren’t yet out of trouble and could still be relegated if things don’t start to change with five games remaining this season.

Pasquale Marino’s side have started to pick up a bit of momentum at a crucial phase of the campaign, winning each of their last two games.

Sunday’s 2-0 victory over Livorno was relatively comfortable as both goals came in the first half from Alexis Sanchez and Antonio Di Natale.

It’s clear the players were confident following their stunning 3-0 win at home to Juventus the weekend beforehand.

The Zebrette currently lie 15th in the standings, seven points clear of the relegation zone with quite a straightforward run-in.

After Bologna, Marino’s side face Siena, Cagliari, Bari and Lazio, although two of those teams are obviously still fighting for survival, perhaps complicating matters somewhat.

Meanwhile, Bologna are in a real crisis after losing fives matches on the bounce. The Rossoblu have dropped to 17th after looking practically safe only a month ago.

They still have a four-point cushion on Atalanta who are third from bottom, but nothing can be taken for granted at this stage of the season.

Things have been problematic ever since Franco Colomba signed a new contract in early March.

If Bologna lose on Sunday, they will then face Parma before travelling to Atalanta, which could be the proverbial relegation six-pointer.

Keep an eye on: Antonio Di Natale (Udinese) – Despite scoring 23 goals in Serie A this season, Di Natale still has to convince Italy boss Marcello Lippi to take him to the World Cup in South Africa. The 32-year-old scored against Bologna earlier this season and will want to add another strike to his tally in a bid to become Capocannoniere for the first time in his career.

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

Last season: Udinese 1-0 Bologna

A play-off between Parma and Genoa, two clubs in with an outside chance of Europa League qualification, should make intriguing viewing.

Surprise package Parma are 9th with 46 points, visitors Genoa are 10th with 45. To qualify for the Europa League they must reach 6th place, which is currently occupied by Juventus, who have 51 points.

It’s a tall order with only five fixtures remaining, but by no means impossible. If either of these sides is to achieve it its more likely to be Parma. The Gialloblu have some momentum – five games unbeaten, including last weekend’s scintillating 3-2 win at Napoli. Meanwhile, Genoa haven’t won in five, and are coming off a derby defeat to Sampdoria on Sunday.

Whereas newly promoted Parma would have bitten your off hand to be in mid-table at this stage of the season, you suspect big-spending Genoa would not. The campaign has not gone to plan for Gian Piero Gasperini and his men.

Few of last summer’s signings delivered, the Europa League was a distraction, but above all else their porous defence has been their biggest failing.

Gasperini’s 3-4-3 system has provided us with plenty of entertainment, yet it is now beginning to appear rather naive. Remarkably, despite being the top scorers in the Division outside the top three, the Grifone have conceded more than anyone else except Siena.

The Crociati’s Jonathan Biabiany and Francesco Valiani are suspended, Alberto Paloschi is injured.

The visitors’ injury list includes Houssine Kharja, Bosko Jankovic, Ivan Juric, David Suazo and Ivan Fatic whilst Mimmo Criscito is suspended.

Keep an eye on: Hernan Crespo (Parma) – He was Genoa’s showpiece signing last summer, but Coach Gasperini didn’t show much trust in the veteran and he returned to Parma, his old stomping ground, in January. Having been instrumental in last week’s dramatic comeback in Naples, Crespo should be given the chance to wreak revenge against Gasperini and Co.

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

Last season: Not played

Brace yourself for one of the biggest Rome derbies of all time. Both capital clubs are in fantastic form and have a hell of a lot to play for.

Claudio Ranieri’s Roma aim to set the Eternal City alight with their fourth championship win. This Scudetto would be the sweetest of all given the adversity they’ve had to fight through this term.

Last week’s 2-1 victory over Atalanta, their fifth win in a row, allowed the Giallorossi to overtake Inter and establish a one point lead at the Serie A summit. I Lupi’s momentum makes them title favourites, but they could be chasers down the final straight if they don’t defeat Lazio. They may already be in second place by the time the derby kicks off as Inter’s game with Juventus takes place on Friday night.

As for bitter rivals Lazio their goal is simply to survive in Serie A. That said the Biancocelesti’s chances of suffering relegation have receded thanks to a five game unbeaten run under the tutelage of Edy Reja.

They’re six points clear of 18th place and should be safe. Nonetheless the prospect of harpooning their mortal enemies’ Scudetto hopes has the Aquile fired up to say the least, according to midfielder Cristian Ledesma. “Roma can expect to find in front of them the only team of the Italian championship ready to play the game of their lives and make the trip up of a lifetime.”

Lazio also have a very impressive record as the designated ‘home’ team in the derby. They’ve won the last three editions 3-0, 3-2 and 4-2 respectively.

Quite aside from all the subplots and issues at play however the Derby della Capitale is always its own special occasion, a fact Ranieri recognises. “When you meet Lazio it is always a separate game from the rest of the season and our positions in the table or even current form counts for nothing.”

Roma’s entire squad is fit and ready but Lazio’s Ousmane Dabo, Mourad Meghni, Cristian Manfredini, Pasquale Foggia, Francelino Matuzalem and Albano Bizzarri are injured.

Keep an eye on: Mauro Zarate (Lazio) – The little Argentine buzzbomb has had a dire season – three goals is a shoddy return from an €18m signing. What better way to redeem himself though than starring in a derby win that derails Roma’s Scudetto challenge? He’s already excelled in this fixture, scoring a screamer in Lazio’s 4-2 win last April.

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

Last season: Lazio 4-2 Roma

It may well already be too late for Livorno, but anything less than a victory in Verona would likely doom them to the drop.

The Amaranto are propping up the table and last week’s 2-0 home defeat to Udinese left them nine points adrift of safety. “I still believe, even if we’re aware the situation is desperate,” said Coach Gennaro Ruotolo, who replaced Serse Cosmi. “There are still 15 points up for grabs. Football is wonderful because it is so unpredictable.”

Chievo aren’t mathematically safe yet, but a win here would put them in a relatively comfortable position. The Flying Donkeys should’ve been secure by now, though have picked up only three points from the last seven rounds, not tasting victory since the 2-1 over Cagliari on February 28.

The Verona outfit were leading in Palermo last Sunday before collapsing 3-1. They welcome back Sergio Pellissier, Luca Rigoni and Santiago Morero from suspension, although Luca Ariatti is now on the naughty step. Veteran winger Luciano should recover in time for this match.

Livorno have few real options for this trip, as Mozart and Claudio Bellucci sit out bans. Leonardo Miglionico, Nelson Rivas, Mirko Pieri, Diniz and Rubinho are all sidelined, while Ruotolo could again choose to drop talismanic captain Cristiano Lucarelli in favour of Francesco Tavano and Tomas Danilevicius. Andrea Esposito is likely to step back into defence following his injury.

This fixture has only ever been played three times in Serie A, all ending with Chievo victories at the Bentegodi. In fact, including both home and away ties, the Flying Donkeys have won six and drawn once by scoring 11 goals to three conceded.

Keep an eye on: Sergio Pellissier (Chievo) – By far his team’s top scorer with eight goals, the striker missed out on last week’s trip to Sicily due to suspension, so he’ll be well-rested and eager to get on the scoresheet. He should have a whale of a time against a Livorno defence that has conceded 50 times this season.

Last five in Serie A: Chievo (D D D L L) Livorno (L L D D L)

Last season: Not played

This game will be Siena’s last chance to avoid relegation and it comes at a time when Catania couldn’t be any stronger.

The Rossoblu have been in great shape lately. They have collected several important results including a win in the Sicilian derby against Palermo and, somehow, an unexpected away draw to Milan. The Etnei only need a point though to reach theoretical safety.

The board opted for a Press silence ahead of this game but Sinisa Mihajlovic spoke to the journalists after the San Siro match. “I feel we are good enough for eighth position,” claimed the Serbian. “We want to win every game and are fearless. We only need a point to avoid relegation and this makes me proud.”

The Tuscans find themselves in a completely different situation and relegation at the end of the season is likely. The Bianconeri sit second to last, six points behind Bologna. At the weekend they beat Bari, keeping their hopes for survival still alive, but their chances are very slim.

“We are really happy that the boys didn’t give in,” claimed President Massimo Mezzaroma. “I do believe we still have a chance. The fixtures ahead of us are complicated but we will go from strength to strength starting from Catania.”

Mihajlovic will be missing his star man Giuseppe Mascara, who is suspended. On top of that, the Sicilians will also be without injured Jorge Martinez and Nicolas Spolli. Christian Terlizzi should start at the back while their trident will be formed by Taka Morimoto, Maxi Lopez and Mariano Izco.

Giuseppe Pratali is banned and his place will be taken by Belgian defender Michael Odibe. Albin Ekdal will start from the bench. Marcelo Larrondo should be the lone striker with Massimo Maccarone and Reginaldo playing on the flanks.

Keep an eye on: Maxi Lopez (Catania) – The Argentine striker has had an impressive start in Catania having scored seven goals in 12 games. The former Barca man believes he still has a chance to make it to the World Cup but in order to do so he cannot stop scoring.

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

Last season: Catania 0-3 Siena

Palermo chase their Champions League dream as they take on troubled Cagliari following the dismissal of Massimiliano Allegri.

The Rossoblu have been in awful form lately and were yet again defeated at the weekend by Juventus. Following that loss, President Massimo Cellino took the radical decision to fire the Coach. Allegri had been linked to several clubs in recent weeks.

“I was naive not to do it before,” claimed the Sardinian patron. “I should have sent him away before we started losing all these games.” On the other hand, Allegri sent an open letter to the club: “I am thankful to the players, the fans, the directors and the President for the chance I have been given.”

The Rosanero are having a great run but share fourth spot with Sampdoria. They must take advantage of this weekend considering that the Blucerchiati are playing Milan. Palermo are dreaming of the Champions League and it seems like they could do it this year.

“I don’t care that Cagliari changed their manager,” noted President Maurizio Zamparini. “For us it doesn’t make a difference. We will go out there to win this game because we really need the three points.”

The main problem for Delio Rossi will be the injury of Cesare Bovo. The Roman centre-back is still sidelined which means Dorin Goian will take his place. Up front Abel Hernandez is hoping to start and Rossi is unsure whether to prefer him over Edinson Cavani.

Aside from their captain Daniele Conti, Cagliari will also be missing half of their backline. Michele Canini is suspended while Davide Astori and Diego Lopez are injured. They will be replaced by Lorenzo Ariaudo and Lino Marzoratti. Up front Daniele Ragatzu will play instead of Jeda.

Keep an eye on: Fabrizio Miccoli (Palermo) – The striker from Lecce scored a brace at the weekend and is really on fire. In Palermo they are wondering why Marcello Lippi doesn’t consider calling him up for the Nazionale.

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

Last season: Cagliari 1-0 Palermo

Who would have thought that relative minnows Bari would have the season they’ve had this year? With five games to go, the newly-promoted Galletti are in a more than comfortable mid-table position, having reached that significant 40-point mark quite some time ago.

Credit must surely go to Coach Giampiero Ventura, who has moulded a side that is difficult to score against, as 41 goals conceded this campaign will attest. Rising star Leonardo Bonucci will take most of the media limelight, particularly with a summer transfer on the cards, but other defensive players must take their share of the plaudits too. Belgian goalkeeper Jean-Francois Gillet, Andrea Masiello, Nicola Belmonte and Andrea Ranocchia have all been hugely influential on the team’s success at the back.

With just six points separating this weekend’s opponents, Napoli, the Biancorossi supporters will be enjoying the season’s denouement without the pressure of a relegation battle. Walter Mazzarri’s team, on the other hand, are still fighting for fourth spot, but it’s looking a real uphill battle with a five-point gap to make up. They sit in seventh, so European qualification of either competition, be it the Champions League or the more likely Europa League, has to be the target.

Mazzarri is in a privileged position at this time of the season regarding injuries with just one player out, that being versatile Azzurri international Christian Maggio. However, his players’ indiscipline has seen his selection options suffer considerably, with star striker Fabio Quagliarella serving a three-game suspension, along with one-match bans for both defender Salvatore Aronica and captain Paolo Cannavaro.

Ventura, in contrast, has real injury issues to contend with, right the way through the team. Argentine midfielder Mariano Donda and Genoa loanee Ranocchia are out for the rest of the campaign, while Belarusian forward Vitali Kutuzov’s return from injury before the season’s end is in the balance.

Those returning in two weeks include veteran striker Antonio Langella, Argentine midfielder Emanuel Rivas and on-loan Torino defender Marco Pisano. Four players are expected to miss just this weekend’s action: perennial Juventus loanee Sergio Almiron, former Celtic and Milan creator Massimo Donati, French midfielder Pedro Kamata and Inter academy product Riccardo Meggiorini.

Keep an eye on: Marek Hamsik (Napoli) – With Quagliarella suspended, the pressure on the Slovakian attacking midfielder to score and supply goals has greatly increased. There’s no doubting the 22-year-old’s ability and a summer move to one of Europe’s top brass is possible, but for now his focus should be on sealing his team’s qualification to a European club competition, realistically the Europa League.

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

Last season: Not played

Atalanta’s situation is getting desperate. Four points from safety with only with five games to play, it’s panic time at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia.

Ironically, however, Bortolo Mutti’s side have found some real form in their last few games, with three convincing wins in their last five matches. Even in their last outing, a tough trip to table-toppers Roma, the team showed their resolve, and though they came out on the losing side being defeated 2-1, there were plenty of positives to take away from the encounter.

Despite their perilous position, the Nerazzurri players seem to be playing with a confidence that could genuinely see them haul their way out of trouble.

With Fiorentina this season, you never know which team is going to turn up. Inconsistency is the word that sums up their campaign – brilliant one week, frustratingly disappointing the next. In recent games the team has managed to put together a bit of form, notably with last week’s pulsating draw with Inter.

Nonetheless, you feel a bad performance is always round the corner and the Atalanta supporters will be hoping that they will provide one of those displays on Sunday.

Champions League qualification seems very unlikely now, and a Europa League spot is looking tough too, but in all honesty a team that shows that much of a Jekyll and Hyde characteristic probably doesn’t deserve to represent Italy next season.

It will certainly be interesting to see where Cesare Prandelli is plying his trade in six months. In the meantime, the former Parma boss is still without the services of Alessandro Gamberini and Adrian Mutu, due to injury and suspension respectively. However, apart from these two issues, the Orzinuovi-born tactician’s team has a clean bill of health.

The same cannot be said for Mutti’s side who are missing six players due to injury. Midfielders Edgar Barreto, Paolo Zanetti, defenders Leonardo Talamonti, Gianpaolo Bellini, Gyorgy Garics and striker Javier Chevanton all should return before the end of the season. Maximiliano Pellegrino serves a one-match ban.

Keep an eye on: Simone Tribocchi (Atalanta) – Atalanta need points, fast, and the way to get points is to score goals. Tribocchi has nine of them to his name in the League this campaign, leading the way in the goalscoring stakes for the Oroboci. Mutti, his teammates and the Atalanta fans will be praying the former Lecce man can hit the back of the net a few more times before the season’s end, starting with this weekend.

Last five in Serie A: Atalanta (W W L W L) Fiorentina (W L W D D)

Last season: Atalanta 1-2 Fiorentina