Juventus will be looking to edge closer to their 29th scudetto at the home of their city rivals Torino this afternoon, adding a further incentive to the 227th Derby della Mole.
Second-placed Napoli beat Pescara 3-0 away last night to go eight points behind the leaders and keep their slim title hopes alive.
However, victory for the Bianconeri at the Stadio Olimpico would see them on the verge of a second successive Serie A title with four more matches remaining after this weekend’s programme.
“This game is not like any other,” Juventus coach Antonio Conte said.
“If last year our scudetto was a miracle, this would be a ferocious one. It would be one born out of our desire, determination and consistency. All of the qualities which we have shown more than our rivals.
“It’s not easy to win the league two years in a row, especially not in Italy.”
Unsurprisingly, Juve sold out their contingent of tickets for the city derby within hours, but there are fears that many of their followers have also got their hands on tickets for the home fans’ sectors.
“The fact that we are having to consider potential problems means we should all be ashamed,” said Conte.
“To think that a game of football could cause violence is disgraceful. I’ve been saying it for a long time. In Italy, we get met with stones and insults being thrown our way – is that normal?”
For Torino, the derby is also crucial in terms of avoiding relegation. They are just seven points clear of the bottom three and cannot afford to drop any more points.
“If we had got something out of those games we lost incredibly, like Cagliari, Parma, Napoli or Fiorentina, we would be safe and even heroes, but instead we are suffering,” coach Giampiero Ventura told reporters yesterday.
“Bring on the derby because certainly we won’t lose our concentration in this match. The league table says that this is a very important game for us, but it is still a derby, which is a game unto itself.
“You can make predictions about other games, but not a derby. You just have to play it and see.”
Udinese move to fifth
Udinese beat Cagliari 1-0 yesterday thanks to a goal from Roberto Pereyra to move above Inter into fifth place in Serie A, which brings a Europa League spot for next season.
Pereyra’s curling strike after 56 minutes saw Francesco Guidolin’s side move up to 54 points, one ahead of Inter who visit relegation-threatened Palermo today.
Cagliari, who had striker Mauricio Pinilla sent off in added time, remain 10th on 42 points, two points and one place above Bologna, who drew 1-1 at Atalanta in the other early kick-off.
Bologna had Alberto Gilardino to thank for grabbing a point in Bergamo after he cancelled out Luigi Giorgi’s 67th-minute opener with 14 minutes left.
Atalanta leapfrogged Sampdoria into 14th place on 39 points, 10 clear of the relegation zone.