Soccer-Napoli and Inter set to take title race down to the wire
SOCCER-ITALY/ (PREVIEW, PIX):PREVIEW-Soccer-Napoli and Inter set to take title race down to the wire
By Trevor Stynes
May 15 - Napoli aim to defend a one-point lead atop Serie A with Inter Milan poised to pounce, while the fight for the final Champions League spot and the relegation battle reach boiling point on what promises to be a dramatic penultimate matchday.
There is a chance the Scudetto could be decided by a playoff, if the top two finish level on points, but Napoli have their fate in their hands and could secure the title on Sunday with a win if Inter lose at home to fifth-placed Lazio.
Napoli slipped up last weekend in a 2-2 draw at home to Genoa, allowing Inter to move closer, and Antonio Conte's side travel to Parma who are 16th and still not safe from the drop.
Conte will be without midfielder Stanislav Lobotka, who limped off early against Genoa, already struggling with an ankle injury, but there was some good news for Napoli.
Winger David Neres came on late versus Genoa while defender Alessandro Buongiorno is likely to be among the substitutes for the Parma match having missed the last two games.
Napoli are undefeated in 10 matches, but dropping points last time out means Conte's men cannot afford any more missteps, as Inter, with a Champions League final to look forward to, have found an extra gear at just the right time.
Inter lost top spot with two successive defeats, but Simone Inzaghi's rotation has worked wonders in the last two games with his side taking maximum points to give themselves a fighting chance of retaining their league title.
Davide Frattesi, Lautaro Martinez, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Benjamin Pavard are unlikely to return for the Lazio game, but Inzaghi may restore the likes of goalkeeper Yann Sommer, Marcus Thuram, Hakan Calhanoglu and Nicolo Barella to the lineup.
Lazio are in the hunt for a Champions League place, level on 64 points with Juventus who have the all-important fourth spot.
Juve are home to Udinese, with a host of teams waiting to take advantage of any slip-up. AS Roma are one point behind and host AC Milan who are in eighth place on 60 points.
Nine games kick off simultaneously on Sunday. The only fixture with nothing riding on it is Atalanta's trip to Genoa on Saturday, with the hosts safe in mid-table and the visitors already guaranteed third spot and a Champions League place.
Bologna, fresh from lifting the Coppa Italia by beating Milan on Wednesday, are seventh in the standings, two points off Juve, and visit Fiorentina, who are ninth on 59 points
Monza are already relegated, but may well play a role in deciding who joins them in Serie B as they welcome second from bottom Empoli, level on 28 points with Lecce, who host Torino.
Venezia's win over Fiorentina on Monday moved them one place and one point above the drop zone and they visit Cagliari, 14th in the standings on 33 points and not mathematically safe yet.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
