Spanish striker Alvaro Morata will take centre stage for Juventus tonight when the Serie A leaders play at Cesena.
Carlos Tevez, the league’s top scorer, is suspended this weekend. His absence puts the burden on the 22-year-old Morata to find the back of net but that is a challenge he is embracing.
Morata has scored in two of Juve’s last three Serie A games, including last weekend’s 3-1 triumph over Milan.
“I’m really happy to score,” Morata told the Italian press.
“It’s always good when you hand good performances. But I have to think about the future and I know I still have a lot of room for improvement. I’m working hard to score as many goals as possible.”
Since joining Juve from Real Madrid last summer, Morata has struck five goals and set up three more in 17 Serie A appearances.
The Spain international is expected to partner compatriot Fernando Llorente up front as Juve look to clinch their 17th win of the season at the Dino Manuzzi stadium.
Massimiliano Allegri’s Juve have lost just once all season and are seven points clear of Roma at the top of the standings.
“If we always win then there’s no need for us to look behind us to see what the other teams are doing,” Morata said.
Cesena are fighting to avoid the drop this season and lie 19th in the standings, six points adrift of safety.
The Emilia-Romagna outfit beat Parma and Lazio in recent weeks before falling 2-0 at Empoli last time out.
Domenico Di Carlo’s side strengthened their midfield with the signing of Belgian player Gaby Mudingayi last week.
Mudingayi, 33, has joined the Emilia-Romagna club on a free transfer until the end of the season. The former Lazio player is expected to make his Cesena debut today.
Meanwhile, Roma boss Rudi Garcia is confident that his side can start putting a run of results together after getting back to winning ways at Cagliari last weekend.
Garcia’s side ended a four-match winless run with a 2-1 triumph in Sardinia, but the former Lille boss knows it will count for little if they do not follow it up against lowly Parma, today.
“I believe that we are back on track,” he said.
“The aim was to return to winning ways in Sardinia and we did it. Now we must give continuity to this result.”
Roma had won just two games in their last eight before the Cagliari clash to fade behind Juventus in the race at the top.
Pressure on Napoli
Senegalese striker Khouma Babacar scored twice and set up another goal as Fiorentina beat Sassuolo 3-1 for their sixth away win of the Serie A season yesterday.
The victory left Fiorentina four points adrift of third-placed Napoli, who were beaten 3-1 by Palermo in the late kick-off, in the hunt for a spot in next season’s Champions League.
Vincenzo Montella’s side dominated the first half and killed off the game in the space of two minutes when Babacar’s backheel sent former Chelsea player Mohamed Salah through.
Babacar then scored his sixth goal of the season 90 seconds later and made it 3-0 in the 62nd minute when he controlled a David Pizarro pass and calmly shot past Andrea Consigli.
Domenico Berardi headed in a consolation goal for Sassuolo five minutes later.
Palermo never let Napoli to settle down and stunning goals from Achraf Lazaar and Franco Vazquez in the opening half paved the way for the Sicilians’ home win that keeps them in contention for the Europa League.
Luca Rigoni made it 3-0 midway through the second half and Manolo Gabbiadini pulled one back for Napoli nine minutes from time.
Serie A
Played yesterday
Sassuolo 1
Berardi 67;
Fiorentina 3
Salah 30; Babacar 32, 62;
HT: 0-2. Att: 14,000.
Palermo 3
Lazaar 14; Vazquez 36; Rigoni 65;
Napoli 1
Gabbiadini 81;
HT: 2-0. Att: 12,784.
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Juventus | 22 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 47 | 10 | 53 |
| Roma | 22 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 36 | 17 | 46 |
| Napoli | 23 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 42 | 30 | 42 |
| Fiorentina | 23 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 35 | 23 | 38 |
| Sampdoria | 22 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 28 | 24 | 35 |
| Lazio | 22 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 37 | 26 | 34 |
| Palermo | 23 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 37 | 37 | 33 |
| Genoa | 22 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 30 | 26 | 32 |
| Torino | 22 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 25 | 23 | 31 |
| Inter | 22 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 33 | 29 | 29 |
| Milan | 22 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 32 | 29 | 29 |
| Sassuolo | 23 | 6 | 11 | 6 | 29 | 33 | 29 |
| Udinese | 22 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 26 | 30 | 28 |
| Verona | 22 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 24 | 37 | 24 |
| Empoli | 22 | 4 | 11 | 7 | 21 | 26 | 23 |
| Atalanta | 22 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 19 | 29 | 23 |
| Chievo | 22 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 16 | 26 | 21 |
| Cagliari | 22 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 29 | 42 | 19 |
| Cesena | 22 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 21 | 43 | 15 |
| Parma (-1) | 22 | 3 | 1 | 18 | 20 | 47 | 9 |
Playing today – 15.00
Atalanta vs Inter
Cesena vs Juventus - 20.45
Chievo vs Sampdoria - 18.00
Genoa vs Verona
Milan vs Empoli - 12.30
Roma vs Parma
Torino vs Cagliari
Udinese vs Lazio
Top scorers
14 goals: Tevez (Juventus).
13 goals: Icardi (Inter).
12 goals: Higuain (Napoli), Menez (Milan).
11 goals: Dybala (Palermo).
10 goals: Gabbiadini (Napoli).
9 goals: Callejon (Napoli), Di Natale (Udinese), Quagliarella (Torino).
Next fixtures
Friday: 20.45 Juventus vs Atalanta.
Saturday: 20.45 Sampdoria vs Genoa.
Sunday: 15.00 Milan vs Cesena; Em-a vs Chievo; Verona vs Roma; Lazio vs Palermo; Parma vs Udinese. 20.45 Fiorentina vs Torino.
Monday, Feb. 23: 19.00 Napoli vs Sassuolo; 21.00 Cagliari vs Inter.
Serie B
Avellino vs Frosinone - 3-0
Bari vs Vicenza - 0-1
Bologna vs Ternana - 0-0
Carpi vs Spezia - 0-0
Entella vs Trapani - 1-1
Latina vs Pescara - 2-0
Pro Vercelli vs Cittadella - 0-1
Varese vs Livorno - 0-1
V. Lanciano vs Brescia - 2-0
Playing tomorrow:
Catania vs Crotone - 20.30
Standings: Carpi 51; Bologna 45; Livorno 43; Avellino 42; Vicenza 40; Frosinone 38; V. Lanciano 37; Spezia 36; Ternana 35; Pescara, Perugia, Pro Vercelli 33; Trapani 32; Modena, Cittadella, Bari 30; Brescia, Entella 29; Catania, Latina, Varese 27; Crotone 24.