Napoli and Juventus must both play a game of ‘who blinks first?’ this weekend, with their Serie A title showdown looming large on the horizon.

The leaders’ only feasible response to Juve’s irrepressible 13-match winning run has been to start racking up the victories themselves and Wednesday’s triumph at Lazio was their seventh on the spin.

Number eight could arrive at home to lowly Carpi, with reigning champions Juve travelling to similarly-troubled Frosinone all the while hoping the Azzurri will slip up and allow them to overhaul the two-point gap to first place.

If that cushion remains after tomorrow’s games, however, Juve will have to beat Napoli in Turin on February 13 to usurp their rivals.

Azzurri boss Maurizio Sarri is steadfastly refusing to play the numbers game and pointed to the changeable nature of the table as an example to his players, who he is urging to “keep pushing forward”.

“With 15 games remaining it seems strange to start making predictions about what Juventus will or won’t manage to do,” he told La Repubblica Sport.

“A lot of things can change over the course of 15 games and if we look at the state of the table 15 games ago, Torino were third and Juventus were ninth.”

Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri, who has been linked with Premier League giants Chelsea this week, is happy for the Bianconeri to keep winning ugly in their pursuit of a fifth straight Scudetto.

An own-goal from Sebastian De Maio handed Allegri’s men their 1-0 success against Genoa on Wednesday and the former Milan boss hopes that gift breeds humility among his players.

He said: “That game has put our feet back on the ground. We suffered for that win and we must keep on fighting.”

Both Milan clubs triumphed during the week with Inter stabilising their ailing title challenge with victory over Chievo and the Rossoneri closing to within six points of the Champions League places by beating Palermo.

Inter next visit basement boys Verona and Milan are at home to Udinese.

Third-placed Fiorentina can keep Inter at arm’s length with victory at Bologna this evening and Luciano Spalletti’s Roma can get back into the hunt with a positive result against Sampdoria.

Elsewhere, Genoa entertain Lazio – the Biancocelesti were this week handed a two-match partial stadium ban after a section of fans racially abused Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly – and Torino welcome Chievo.

Surprise package Sassuolo tackle Palermo at the Mapei Stadium, while Atalanta look for an overdue win when they host Empoli.

Fixtures

Serie A

Playing Today
Bologna vs Fiorentina 18.00
Genoa vs Lazio 20.45

Tomorrow– 15.00
Verona vs Inter 12.30
Milan vs Udinese
Frosinone vs Juventus
Napoli vs Carpi
Sassuolo vs Palermo
Torino vs Chievo
Atalanta vs Empoli 18.00
Roma vs Sampdoria 20.45

Standings: Napoli 53; Juventus 51; Fiorentina 45; Inter 44; Roma 41; Milan 39; Sassuolo, Empoli 33; Lazio 32; Bologna 29; Torino 28; Chievo, Atalanta 27; Udinese 26; Palermo 25; Genoa, Sampdoria 24; Carpi, Frosinone 19; Verona 14.

Serie B

Played Yesterday
Bari vs Crotone2-3

Today – 15.00
Ascoli vs Latina
Cagliari vs Entella
Livorno vs Ternana
Novara vs Avellino
Perugia vs Spezia
Pro Vercelli vs Brescia
Salernitana vs Pescara
Vicenza vs Virtus Lanciano

Tomorrow
Modena vs Cesena17.30

Monday
Trapani vs Como 20.30

Leading standings: Crotone 54; Cagliari 52; Pescara 46; Bari 39; Novara, Brescia 38; Cesena 37; Avellino 35.