No let-up for Napoli
Rossoneri seek to consolidate third place with Pescara win
Napoli head coach Walter Mazzarri is refusing to rest on his laurels despite leading his side to the precipice of Champions League football next year.
While they now cannot catch Juventus, who sealed another Serie A success on Sunday, the Partenopei remain well placed to play in Europe’s elite competition group stage next season as they are seven points clear of third-placed Milan with three games to go.
They can guarantee runners-up spot with victory at mid-table Bologna tonight although Mazzarri is not taking anything for granted against a team he refers to as Napoli’s “bete noire”.
“Let’s remain focused, we still need three points,” said Mazzarri on the club’s official website following their 3-1 win over Inter on Sunday.
“I am satisfied with the victory over Inter, but I was afraid that we would not close the game because although we had many efforts at goal they managed to draw.
“However, we were able to impose our supremacy and achieve a well-deserved victory.
“Now we must go on with this intensity. On Wednesday (today) we are going to play against Bologna, our bete noir.
“Last year at the Dall’Ara stadium we lost a game that was important for the European qualification. Therefore, we have to give nothing for granted and we must have the right mentality and concentration from now until the end.
“This team’s improvement is huge. We have got 17 points more than last year and we are second only to a stratospheric Juventus.
“But our season is amazing and now we want to crown it with the direct qualification to the Champions League.”
Milan will also hope to move one step closer to Champions League football when they play rock-bottom Pescara today.
The Rossoneri went four points clear of fourth-placed Fiorentina, who next travel to relegation-threatened Siena, by edging out Torino in their last match and will be looking to carry that momentum into their clash at the Stadio Adriatico this evening.
“The match against Pescara will be fundamental. Winning there and maintaining our lead on Roma and Fiorentina would be great,” said vice-president Adriano Galliani.
Juventus will be aiming to celebrate claiming back-to-back league titles at Atalanta this evening, but they must do so without Paul Pogba, whose season is over after being suspended for three matches for spitting at Palermo defender Salvatore Aronica on Sunday.
At the other end of the league standings, troubled Palermo host Europa League chasers Udinese hoping to close the three-point gap on fellow strugglers Genoa, who could move above Torino with victory over Giampiero Ventura’s men.
The misfiring Inter have lost five of their last six matches in all competitions so they will be looking for a much-needed three points against Lazio as Sampdoria host Catania while Parma travel to Cagliari.
Summary
Roma 0
Chievo 1
Thereau 90
HT: 0-0. Att: 34,620
Playing Today
18.00 Pescara vs Milan.
20.45 Atalanta vs Juventus; Bologna vs Napoli; Cagliari vs Parma; Inter vs Lazio; Palermo vs Udinese; Samp-doria vs Catania; Siena vs Fiorentina; Torino vs Genoa.