Week 30 preview: Business end

Its the phrase we are all common with, the business end of the season approaches. With only nine games left this is where the Scudetto, 4th place and relegation spots will be won, or in the latter case lost and with the added physical strain of another match day occurring midweek it should be exciting to watch. I will be watching Lazio v Siena and then Napoli v Juve on Thursday but there is plenty on offer this week and you can catch it online at Bet365 or on TV depending upon where you live. Inter face on paper the easiest task of the top three with Livorno at home, but they will come to fight and at this level nothing is guaranteed. Roma and Milan face a more difficult task away to Bologna and Parma respectively but they will be expected to win nonetheless. Bologna though especially have been in very good form, despite their defeat at the weekend, and will be up for the challenge that awaits them.

Elsewhere Palermo in 4th face a tough trip to Genoa, where the home side are often too hot to handle with Palacio and Suazo upfront. However, wins in stadiums like the Marassi will put the prospect of 4th in their own hands. Sampdoria and Fiorentina, also in the hunt for fourth, face testing trips to Bari and Catania respectively. Again, a crucial Southern trip awaits Juve on Thursday night when they enter the Caldron that is the San Paolo to face a Napoli side that must get back to winning ways sooner or later or risk falling away from the European places. That being said, so do Juve and they could not ask for many harder places to play than Napoli. So, that should make for an interesting game no doubt.

A lot of eyes will be on the Stadio Olimpico Wednesday night however as Lazio and Siena face off, with a win crucial to either side. Both had excellent wins at the weekend, but Lazio especially need to show some consistency now to move away from the unthinkable. Atalanta also have the platform to build up a winning mentality with Cagliari next to arrive in Bergamo. However, the away side have had an excellent season once against and will look to return to winning ways sooner rather than later. Udinese also face Chievo, and with their away form being so poor must win their home games or risk being brought right back into the relegation battle once more. Until tomorrow then.