Roma Vow To Keep Fighting

Failure to win on Sunday is not an option for Roma if they want to be certain that Inter Milan do not clinch their fifth straight Scudetto.

The Giallorossi are two points behind Inter heading into their penultimate game, against Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico.

Claudio Ranieri’s side stayed alive in the title hunt last week by defeating Parma, but they followed that up with a 1-0 loss to Inter in the final of the Coppa Italia on Wednesday night.

“We were not able to play our style of game as we had done at the San Siro back in April (when Roma beat Inter 2-1),” said Ranieri.

“They punished us and we have to honour the winners. But we will not give up in the race for the Scudetto. We will try with all our strength.”

Inter, who beat Lazio last weekend, know they may just clinch the title at the San Siro with a victory over Chievo.

“The victory against Roma will give us a big boost in confidence for our next games,” said Inter striker Diego Milito, whose solitary goal allowed the Nerazzurri to lift the trophy on Wednesday.

“For our part, we are calm and ready to fight for the Scudetto and the Champions League.”

AC Milan travel to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris knowing that a win at Genoa would assure them of a third-place finish. The Rossoneri are four points clear of Sampdoria.

The stakes are extremely high when fifth-placed Palermo host fourth-placed Samp at La Favorita.

Both sides are battling for the last Champions League qualifying spot. Samp are two points clear of Palermo, who remain unbeaten at home.

Juventus take on Parma in Turin looking to leapfrog Napoli into sixth place.

The Bianconeri trail one point behind Napoli, who take on strugglers Atalanta at the San Paolo.

Anything but a win for Atalanta would mean relegation for the Bergamaschi and a gift for Lazio and Bologna.

With one team still to join Siena and Livorno in the second tier next season, Atalanta are five points adrift of 17th-placed Bologna, who are level on 40 points with Lazio.

Lazio face rock-bottom Livorno, who will be the home team for the last time this season.

Bologna will go up against a Catania side that is also celebrating after securing top-flight football for another year.

Udinese forward Antonio Di Natale could equal on Sunday against Bari the club scoring record set by German star Oliver Bierhoff in the 1997-98 campaign.

Di Natale is Serie A’s top scorer with 26 goals, one shy of Bierhoff’s feat.

Fiorentina and Siena will lick their wounds when both Tuscan sides face each other at the Artemio Franchi stadium.

Siena were relegated to the second division last weekend while a poor run of form by the Viola, with just one win in their last seven games, has ended any hopes they had of playing in Europe next term.