With 21 points still up for grabs in Serie A, it is anyone's guess who will suceed in fending off the drop at the end of the season.
Matters at the top of the standings look quite complex following Roma's win over leaders Inter on Saturday but as things stand today, the bottom three sides - Livorno (25 points), Siena (26) and Atalanta (28) - are widely tipped to go down, making the relegation issue less complicated.
If any of the bottom three sides are to chart a safe way out of troubled waters, they will have to topple the likes of Lazio and Udinese, both hovering just outside the drop zone after a lacklustre season.
At this stage, one can safely assume that Chievo, Catania and Bologna are almost home and dry.
Chievo have 38 points and though they have lately experienced a dip in form, they still look good enough to secure at least another few points from their remaining seven matches to make sure of salvation. The same goes for Catania and Bologna, who have 35 points each.
Bottom of the class Livorno are the prime favourites to find their way back in the Serie B.
They still have to record their first win in the second round. Having collected only four points out of the last available 36 is testament to their woes as the team badly needs a shot in the arm at this crucial phase of the season.
The way Livorno played last weekend in a 1-1 draw at home to Bari clearly showed that they have not given up hope yet even though the league strugglers have a mountain to climb.
Livorno still have to travel to Genoa, Chievo, Sampdoria and Parma. They have not won an away game since beating Catania on the 16th day. The indications are that if Livorno are to recover lost ground in this battle against relegation, it will not be enough for them to win all their three home fixtures (vs Udinese, Catania and Lazio) and continue to travel badly.
Livorno desperately need to improve their away record to keep their heads above water.
Alberto Malesani's Siena made a remarkable recovery over the last few weeks. However, the Tuscany outfit had their stride halted after going down to Lazio and then held to a goalless draw at home by Genoa in their last two outings.
This weekend's make-or-break trip to Atalanta will shed more light on each side's chances to save their status.
Siena's remaining matches are at home to Bari, Palermo and Inter and away to Catania, Udinese and Fiorentina. These fixtures pose a daunting task for Malesani's boys but if they show the same kind of determination they had in recent weeks, they stand an outside chance to make it.
Atalanta, too, showed some signs of improvement lately.
Back-to-back wins at home over Livorno and Cagliari and a lively display in a 1-2 away defeat to Juventus in the weekend did well to lift the team's spirits.
The Bergamo team, unlike fellow strugglers Livorno and Siena, still have to play four times at home (vs Siena, Fiorentina, Bologna and Palermo).
Bortolo Mutti's side have not won any away games since beating Siena on the 13th day. The likelihood is that Atalanta will not break their away jinx because their remaining three trips are to big guns Roma, Inter and Napoli.
Udinese are the only top division side still without an away win. Luckily for them, four of their last seven fixtures are at their own Friuli stadium.
The northeasterners have collected 27 of their current 32 points at home and are expected to continue to make home soil count against Juventus, Bologna, Siena and Bari. Their last three away fixtures are at Livorno, Cagliari and Lazio.
Lazio have been in inspiring form lately as they collected seven points from their last three outings.
If Lazio can pursue with their surge of late, it should not be difficult for them to reach the 40-point mark. Lazio's last four home fixtures are against Napoli, Roma, Inter and Udinese and their last three away games are at Bologna, Genoa and Livorno.
Serie A statistics
1 DRAW and three defeats are all Bologna have to show from their last four outings. Last weekend, Franco Colomba's side were beaten 3-1 by fourth-placed Palermo. For the Sicilians this was their first win after one defeat and back-to-back draws with Inter and Genoa. Also, for Delio Rossi's side victory was their eighth in their last nine unbeaten home games.
2 PENALTIES were awarded by referees from which Palermo's Fabrizio Miccoli and Marco Borriello, of Milan, made no mistake. Nene turned from hero to zero at Cagliari as first he grabbed an equaliser against Sampdoria but was later red-carded. Also dismissed was Catania coach Sinisa Mihajlovic. Udinese are still without an away win while Inter, Palermo and Sampdoria are undefeated at home.
2 POINTS are Cagliari's meagre tally from their last six games. On Sunday, they left it late to claim a 1-1 away draw at Sampdoria and interrupt a barren run of three straight defeats. Cagliari's first positive away result since a 1-1 away draw with Siena on the 21st day, coincided with Samp's first draw after four straight home wins.
3 WINS and three draws steered Parma to a trouble-free mid-table position. On Sunday, Parma settled for 0-0 with Chievo to record their third consecutive away draw. Verona-based Chievo are winless in their last five outings (three straight draws and two defeats). Since the turn of the year, Chievo have only scored seven goals in 14 games.
7 POINTS collected by Lazio in their last three outings. On Sunday, Edy Reja's side came from a goal down to salvage a precious 1-1 away draw with third-placed Milan. The outcome saw Lazio going five points clear of the drop zone whereas Milan, winless in their last three outings (two draws and one defeat), have now slipped three points behind leaders Inter.
9 POINTS collected by Coppa Italia semi-finalists Fiorentina out of the last available 12. Udinese were Fiorentina's latest victims as the Viola stepped up several gears in the second half to hand the northeasterners their 11th away setback of the term. Cesare Prandelli's side currently trail fourth-placed Palermo by seven points.
22 GOALS were scored on the 31st day: 15 coming from the hosts and the remaining seven from the visitors. There were two goalless draws, five home wins and no away successes. Foreigners contributed with eight goals. Total number of goals scored so far is 789. Fabrizio Miccoli grabbed a hat-trick that enabled Palermo overcome Bologna. Two players - Felipe Melo (Juventus) and Nene (Cagliari) - came on as substitutes and scored.
Udinese's Antonio Di Natale still tops the scorers list with 21 goals.