The last time these two teams met at the Stadio Olimpico, Roma played arguably their best game not just of 2008-09 but also under Luciano Spalletti.

The Giallorossi routed Genoa 3-0. Each and every goal was perfect in its own way, but now Spalletti has gone and Claudio Ranieri has tweaked things to make the team more conservative.

Roma were conceding two goals a game when the Tinkerman replaced Spalletti in September. But two months later, the Giallorossi had made a remarkable improvement and were letting in just 0.20.

After making the team more compact with a 4-4-2, Ranieri has, in a nod to Spalletti, realised that Roma’s players are best suited to a 4-2-3-1, and thanks to their added solidity, the results are starting to show.

The Giallorossi are now unbeaten in 10 Serie A games since late October and have a great chance of returning to the Champions League if they continue this rich vein of form from now until May.

Genoa, for all their attacking verve and entertainment, have been poor on the road so far this season, losing six of their nine games away from Marassi.

Gian Piero Gasperini’s side are one of the best in Serie A on their day, but consistency hasn’t exactly been their forte this season.

Sunday’s 2-0 victory over relegation-threatened Catania brings a two game losing streak to an end and lifted the Rossoblu to 11th in the table.

Another win at the weekend could see them rise to sixth, but it will be interesting to see what toll the Coppa Italia takes on the two sides.

Roma had to come back from behind to beat Triestina 3-1 on Tuesday night while Genoa faced a quick rematch against Catania the following evening.

Keep an eye on: Luca Toni (Roma) – After a stirring home debut against Chievo, the Roma fans expect Luca Toni to open his account for the first time since his loan move from German giants Bayern Munich.

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

Last season: Roma 3-0 Genoa

Atalanta are in the midst of a crisis as they host a Lazio side on their way out of one.

The Orobici, who had harboured hopes of European qualification after a promising transfer campaign, find themselves in 19th place, just one point clear of bottom club Siena, and on their fourth Coach of the campaign already.

Angelo Gregucci was shown the door after a horrendous start to the season with four defeats in four games. Much vaunted young tactician Antonio Conte took the reins and sparked a renaissance, gaining nine points from the first 15 available to him.

But things gradually went awry, and an angry confrontation with disgruntled supporters during the 2-0 home defeat to Napoli brought about the end of his tenure. Youth team Coach Valter Bonacina oversaw last week’s loss in Palermo before Bortolo Mutti was confirmed as the new boss on Monday.

On the face of it Mutti is the ideal man to save the Bergamaschi in their hour of need. Bergamo born and bred, he played for the club as a striker in the early 80s and managed them in the late 90s.

“I am from Bergamo and had no difficulty settling in,” said the 55-year-old. “If I am here it’s because the club feels I can steer the ship in this difficult situation. Of course, there are worries, but I am convinced we can emerge from the situation.”

Mutti is best remembered for the miracles he worked with Messina, taking the newly promoted Sicilian minnows to seventh in the 2004-05 Serie A season. Here and now he has a very tough task however as relegation rivals Siena, Livorno and Catania are all steadily improving under new Coaches.

Opponents Lazio are on the up. The Romans endured an abysmal run of 14 League games without a win, but Coach Davide Ballardini somehow clung on to his job and seems to have turned things around.

The Aquile’s only recent loss was to Inter at San Siro, in between crucial home wins over Genoa and Livorno, and last week they earned a creditable draw at Udinese. Nonetheless, a lot of hard work remains to be done if Ballardini is to push Lazio into a position more befitting of their status.

The home side’s injury list includes Edgar Barreto, Thomas Manfredini and Gianpaolo Bellini, Gyorgy Garics is suspended.

As for the visitors Simone Del Nero, Pasquale Foggia and Francelino Matuzalem are injured, Alexsandar Kolarov is suspended and Mourad Meghni is at the African Nations Cup.

Keep an eye on: Sergio Floccari (Lazio) – New boy Floccari, who was at Atalanta last term, has been an absolute revelation with three goals in his first two Biancocelesti games. The 28-year-old striker made a slow start at Genoa, but the Ligurians must surely regret discarding him so hastily.

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

Last season: Atalanta 2-0 Lazio

Juventus are back in business with Ciro Ferrara’s job safe for the moment, but all that could change at the Bentegodi.

The Coach faced the strong possibility of dismissal this week after a series of poor results that culminated in a 3-0 home defeat to Milan. That effectively ruled them out of the Scudetto race and saw Napoli catch them in joint third position.

Guus Hiddink was warming up to take over, but a 3-0 Coppa Italia triumph over Napoli on Wednesday night proved just the tonic Juve needed. Alessandro Del Piero bagged a brace in a rare start and Diego also hit the net to crown a strong performance.

The same forwards should be reunited for this game, simply because they are the only available alternatives. In fact, it’s likely that they’ll be pushed into a 4-4-2 formation, as Amauri is suspended, joining the injured David Trezeguet, Vincenzo Iaquinta, Sebastian Giovinco, Christian Poulsen, Mauro Camoranesi and Martin Caceres.

Momo Sissoko is away on Africa Cup of Nations duty, leaving very few options for Ferrara. At least Gianluigi Buffon should make his first appearance of 2010 after recovering from knee surgery.

Chievo had a less impressive Coppa Italia test, as on Thursday they were leading 2-1 away to Fiorentina before conceding twice in two minutes to go out 3-2. That proved their fourth consecutive defeat in all competition.

Coach Mimmo Di Carlo made sweeping changes to his line-up, so the men taking to the field this weekend should be fairly fresh. Sergio Pellissier returns in a huge boost, as the top scorer missed the last game after taking a nasty knock to the head from Inter defender Cristian Chivu. He had head trauma, but came off better than Chivu, who required surgery for a fractured skull.

Elvis Abbruscato should partner Pellissier with support from Giampiero Pinzi, although Pablo Granoche and Erjon Bogdani bring different characteristics to the role. Fabio Moro and Francesco Scardina are out of action, but other than that Di Carlo has a full squad to choose from. It’s a particularly special fixture for former Torino youth product Pellissier and product of the Juventus academy Felice Piccolo.

Juve have a splendid record at the Bentegodi, winning six of their total seven visits and drawing one in 2005-06. Last season Del Piero scored in a 2-0 victory that marked his 34th birthday.

Keep an eye on: Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus) – He is yet to play an entire match this season and has been cruelly ignored by former teammate Ferrara, but the captain showed just what he can bring to the Bianconeri cause with his Coppa Italia double midweek. Considering the injury crisis, Juventus will more than ever be looking to Del Piero for inspiration.

Last five in Serie A: Chievo (W W L L L) Juventus (W L L W L)

Last season: Chievo 0-2 Juventus

This is the kind of game that Fiorentina really need to start winning on a regular basis if they are to qualify for the Champions League for the third year running. Cesare Prandelli's charges were consistently inconsistent in the first half of the campaign, possibly due to their travails in Europe, but that has to change now as we approach the business end of the season.

The stakes have been raised. Napoli's summer investment has turned them into genuine top-four contenders, Claudio Ranieri has brought Roma back into the mix, while teams such as Sampdoria and Genoa cannot be discounted so the Viola have it all to do.

A positive result for Bologna in this weekend's game is just as important for Franco Colomba's side, but for contrasting reasons. With just four wins and 16 points to their name, the Rossoblu sit one point above the relegation zone and four solitary points off Siena who prop up the table.

They have suffered three defeats in their last three fixtures and are in dire need of arresting that form before they slide further down the League. A draw or perhaps something better at the Artemio Franchi could spark the revival that the fans are desperately hoping for.

The Fiorentina squad is looking stronger as we go into the second half of the season, with the return of Italian international Alessandro Gamberini after a lengthy injury spell. The centre-back is expected to make it on to the Viola bench, but injury does mean that influential midfielder Cristiano Zanetti misses out.

Last week’s match winner Jose Ignacio Castillo has ruled himself out of this match after being dismissed in the fiery encounter against Bari. Loyal midfielder Marco Donadel joins the Argentine on the sidelines as he serves a one-match suspension.

The Rossoblu have a similarly healthy squad from which to choose, although their midfield is currently short of Ghanian hardman Stephen Appiah and Italian Massimo Mutarelli.

Keep an eye on: Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina) – The former Atalanta man pulls the strings from the heart of the Viola midfield and will be hoping for a strong finish to the campaign to assure his place on the plane to South Africa in the summer. If he can add a few more goals to his game, a place in the Azzurri starting line-up may even be on the cards.

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

Last season: Fiorentina 1-0 Bologna

Milan will not be taking the underdogs from Siena lightly after being pushed to the limit for their place in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals by Lega Pro side Novara in midweek. That said, they most likely faced more of a challenge from the Azzurri than they will from Alberto Malesani’s side.

The black and white shirts have been on the losing side in 13 of their 19 League games this term and have been beaten in eight of their nine away games. With that kind of record – and nine goals conceded in their last two games – you would be a brave man to bet on anything less than a confident Milan win.

The San Siro outfit have won nine of their last 11 games in Serie A and their up-turn in form has made calls for Leonardo’s head early in the season seem misguided. Sitting second in the standings, and coming of a 3-0 blasting of Juventus in Turin, they are certainly not the team that the bottom club in the country would choose to visit right now.

A brace from young Brazilian Alexandre Pato ensured a 2-1 win, and a victory for Leonardo on his debut as a Serie A boss, on the opening day of the 2009-10 season. That scoreline matched the result at San Siro the campaign before, again with Milan taking the lead before surrendering the it and reclaiming it. Back in October 2008, Pippo Inzaghi opened the scoring before Simone Vergassola levelled. A Kaka penalty finally gave the Rossoneri the win.

Historically, this game is an easy three points for the Diavolo. Since arriving in Serie A back in 2003 the Tuscan minnows have managed just one win from 13 attempts, only twice escaping even with a single point. In fact in five of the 13 meetings to date it has ended 2-1 to Milan. Siena’s sole win over their illustrious opponents came in April 2005, when Enrico Chiesa and Francesco Cozza scored to give the Robur a come-from-behind win at the Artemio Franchi.

The hosts will be without defenders Massimo Oddo, Gianluca Zambrotta and Oguchi Onyewu, midfielder Clarence Seedorf and young strikers Alexandre Pato and Dominic Adiyiah, the latter in Angola for the Africa Cup of Nations.

Siena are robbed of Algerian attacker Abdel Kader Ghezzal – who is also on duty at the ACoN. Meanwhile, Brazilian defender Emilson Cribari serves a one-match ban while Brazilian striker Reginaldo has two games to sit out.

Keep an eye on: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Milan) – The Dutch striker will begin on the bench but if ever he wanted a sitting duck to prove himself against then this is it. If Milan have racked up a few goals and throw him on in the latter stages he could bag himself several much-needed confidence-boosting goals.

Last five in Serie A: Milan (W W L W W) Siena (W W L L L)

Last season: Milan 2-1 Siena

Napoli are flying high and aiming to remain in the top four as they welcome Palermo to the San Paolo. But the Rosanero are one of the most insidious sides around at the moment.

The midweek Coppa Italia ties weren’t happy ones for either team as both Palermo and Napoli were knocked out by Lazio and Juventus respectively.

The Azzurri have done incredibly well this term and their achievements are, to a large extent, stunning. Napoli haven’t lost in 12 games, their last defeat being a 2-1 away loss at Roma. They now sit joint third in the table alongside Juventus. Last weekend they beat Sampdoria 1-0.

“Every Serie A game is difficult but we need to approach every side with the same concentration,” said Walter Mazzarri, who is without shadow of doubt the man behind their miraculous run. “Our team is young and we are working to improve every little detail.”

The Rosanero are also doing very well. Not many expected the team to lie seventh, three points away from the Champions League spot, by mid-season. But Delio Rossi has clearly done a superb job since his appointment in place of Walter Zenga.

“I am really happy with what we have done so far,” revealed the boss. “I appreciate the way my players have been training and following my strategies. Napoli are a great side, they are doing really well and it won’t be easy at the San Paolo.”

Bad news for the Azzurri is that Ezequiel Lavezzi picked up an injury which should keep him out for six weeks. But German Denis is ready to fill his boots: “I never regarded him as a reserve anyway,” noted Mazzarri. Newly signed Andrea Dossena could start while Hugo Campagnaro is suspended and will be replaced by Gianluca Grava.

Rossi is considering whether to replace Fabio Simplicio with Javier Pastore. The Brazilian is still to renew his contract which is expiring in June and this is causing some problems to the team. The Sicilians will be without their best man at the back due to suspension – Simon Kjaer.

Keep an eye on: German Denis (Napoli) – After scoring the winner against Sampdoria, El Tanque will be given more playing time following the injury of Lavezzi. The former Independiente striker is ready to grab the chance with both hands.

Last five in Serie A: Napoli (W D W W W) Palermo (W W W D W)

Last season: Napoli 2-1 Palermo

Udinese need survival points as they travel to the Stadio Tardini to face Parma, one of Serie A’s revelations this season. The Gialloblu are struggling at the moment and want to get back on track with a home win.

The season has been great so far for Parma. They are in the top half of the table and with 28 points could even think about a European spot. But things haven’t gone so well recently with three straight defeats, including last weekend’s 2-1 loss to Livorno.

“We need to end this crisis as soon as possible,” said boss Francesco Guidolin.

“Udinese had different targets for their season but now find themselves fighting against relegation. They will be hungry for points,” added Daniele Galloppa.

The Bianconeri are really going through a tough time having collected one point in the last four games. Last weekend they were held by Lazio at the Friuli. This means they are now only four points away from the relegation zone.

“I thought we played well against Lazio even though the fans didn’t appreciate it,” said Gianni De Biasi. “Things are not going well for us but we need to get out of this, if we play with the same spirit as last Sunday I am confident we will.”

Christian Panucci is suspended so one out of Massimo Paci and Ivan Dellafiore will replace him. McDonald Mariga has recovered from injury but will start from the bench. Doubt remains between Valeri Bojinov and Nicola Amoruso up front.

De Biasi will replace banned Gokhan Inler with Mauricio Isla, although Gaetano D’Agostino is not fully fit which means Paolo Sammarco may also play. Alexis Sanchez is favoured over Francesco Lodi for a place on the right flank.

Keep an eye on: Totò Di Natale (Udinese) – The Bianconeri ace came back against Lazio and found the equaliser. Totò is simply fundamental for this side and will be looking to lead them to victory against a club which repetitively tried to sign him over the summer.

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

Last season: Not played

Sampdoria and Catania are both coming off disappointing losses and really have a lot to worry about going into Sunday’s game at Marassi.

After starting the season so well, Sampdoria haven’t won since their 3-0 defeat to Genoa in the Derby della Lanterna on November 29.

Having briefly topped the table at one point, the Blucerchiati have dropped like a stone and now lie 12th in the table albeit just four points off sixth placed Fiorentina.

Gigi Del Neri has come under a lot of scrutiny over the winter with some reports claiming he might even lose his job if results don’t pick up in the short-term.

Sampdoria have definitely tried to change things in the January transfer window, signing Stefano Guberti, a talented winger on loan from Roma, and Mario Cassano, a back-up goalkeeper.

Cassano is expected to fill in for the injured Luca Castellazzi who has arguably been the Blucerchiati’s best player so far this season.

As for Catania, Sunday’s 2-0 defeat away to Genoa brought their two-game winning streak to an unfortunate end.

The Elefanti are in Liguria all week as they faced Genoa again at Marassi in the last 16 of the Coppa Italia on Wednesday.

Catania have lost six and only won one of their 10 away games this season, conceding 18 goals on the road.

Keep an eye on: Mario Cassano (Sampdoria) – There isn’t just one Cassano at Sampdoria anymore. There’s Mario as well after the 26-year-old goalkeeper joined from Reggina earlier this week.

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

Last season: Sampdoria 3-0 Catania