Serie A Week 37 Preview

By: Francesco | May 2nd, 2008

Sorry guys for the late post, but my internet has been down all day (Stupid Time Warner Cable!). So here’s the weekend preview:

As you can see by the picture, the main event of Week 37 is the Derby della Madonnina between Milan and Inter. This derby has turned out to become one of the most important derbies in recent years. More after the jump.

Milan v. Inter

Sunday’s main event pits the two teams from Milan against each other with each team trying to reach it’s own objective. The Nerazzurri, with a win, will win their 16th Scudetto, and third consecutive (really second, the first one was a piece of paper). The Rossoneri, with a win, will aid their chances of catching Fiorentina in the coveted 4th place spot. Inter have the added incentive of winning the Scudetto at the San Siro beating their rivals and harming Milan’s Champions League chances. Milan on the other hand, want a win and hope Fiorentina lose or draw. This derby is really being built up to be a great game, and let’s hope it lives up to expectations.

Atalanta-Livorno

This game doesn’t mean as much to the Bergamaschi as much as it means to the Amaranto. Livorno are dead last in the table, and will be really pushing for 3 points. During the week, Giancarlo Camolese was sacked and Fernando Orsi, who led the club through the first part of the season, was brought back in. Atalanta like I said are not playing for anything other than table position. They have achieved salvation and are just looking to finish under the European zone. If Livorno lose here we can say that they will most probably be relegated.

Cagliari-Fiorentina

This should be another good game, as Cagliari are pushing for three points to achieve salvation, while Fiorentina really want to grab 4th place after losing in the UEFA Cup. The team from the island of Sardegna is excellent at home, and Ballardini has really turned the club at home. They are no pushovers. La Viola will travel to Sardegna without Marco Donadel, Riccardo Montolivo, and Bobo Vieri (Montolivo is suspended, the other two are injured). We will know see what this Fiorentina team is made out of. They can either pull together and work hard to qualify for the Champions League, or ruin their season all together. La Viola want to win and hope Inter defeats Milan.

Catania-Reggina

This game is basically a relegation final. The Sicilians, led by coach Walter Zenga, look to have the home advantage and defeat the Amaranto. Reggina are flying high after beating Parma last week and will fight to the end to save themselves from the drop. Catania have the higher position in the table but I think Reggina have a very good chance of taking this one.

Empoli-Udinese

This game might look like it has no meaning, but it does. The Tuscans need a win to distance themselves from the relegation zone, while Udinese want a win to secure their UEFA Cup position. Empoli have really been led by Sebastian Giovinco in this final part of the season, and Ignazio Abate has really done well too. Udinese have the lethal duo of Antonio Di Natale and Fabio Quagliarella, and Gohkan Inler in midfield, who has been one of the revelations of the season.

Lazio-Palermo

This is a game between two teams that have really underachieved this season. After excellent seasons last year, but teams had bad campaigns this year and are lower-mid table. Palermo are still hoping in an Intertoto spot, while Lazio are really just looking forward to next season. Delio Rossi has 3 games left to convince Lotito that he should be at the helm next season, but the same can be said about Stefano Colantuono, who is trying to show Zamparini that he should be leading the Rosanero next season.

Parma-Genoa

This is the last chance saloon for the Gialloblu’. If they fail to collect 3 points against Genoa this weekend at the Tardini, they will really be in a dire situation, as they have Fiorentina and Inter in the last two weeks. Hector Cuper has yet to make his impact on the club, and the players don’t seem motivated at all. Genoa have been awesome this year, and Gasperini has shown he is one of the brightest managers in Italy. It also helps to have the Serie A top scorer on your team.

Sampdoria-Roma

This is another game that should be a good one to watch. Sampdoria is looking for a win and for Fiorentina and Milan to lose. Roma are just trying to keep up with Inter, and hoping Milan wins the derby. If the Giallorossi lose, the Scudetto is automatically over (but an Inter win would have the same result). Leading the Sampdoria attack are Claudio Bellucci and Antonio Cassano, two players that have a connection to the Giallorossi. Bellucci was born in Rome and has been a lifelong Roma fan, while we all know Cassano’s story.

Siena-Juventus

Juventus have had a great season, and in this last part of the year the squad has really gelled and is just to put it quite simply, playing great. All of the players who were supposed to have great seasons had great seasons. Siena is another team that is playing great at the moment. At the beginning of the season, with Andrea Mandorlini coaching, they looked like they were headed straight down to Serie B. But with the return of Mario Berretta, the squad has transformed into a really good side and are safe from the drop.

Torino-Napoli

A struggling Torino side hosts Napoli at the Stadio Olimpico. The Granata have had a disappointing season and didn’t live up to expectations (lots of people thought they would be pushing for a UEFA Cup spot). Now they face the risk of relegation, and Gianni De Biasi is trying his hardest to not allow that to happen. Napoli have had a good year with lots of ups and downs and are now trying to aim for the Intertoto spot to get a backdoor into the UEFA Cup.