Juventus striker Alvaro Morata (right) is tackled by Sime Vrsaljko, of Sassuolo, in Turin on Monday.

Juventus will look to strengthen their already tight grip on top spot in Serie A when they face Palermo in Sicily this evening.

The Turin giants travel to the Renzo Barbera stadium, where their opponents have not lost since September 29, having heard the praise of former coach Antonio Conte.

“The standings state the truth,” Conte told the Italian press. “Juve deserve to be top because of their winning mentality, fighting spirit and their tactical approach.”

Conte left the Bianconeri after leading the club to its third straight Scudetto last season and now holds the reins of Italy’s national team.

He would rather see a title race in Serie A instead of a competition that has nearest challengers Roma 11 points adrift of Juve with 12 games remaining.

“I honestly expected a more combative Serie A,” he said.

“Today’s Juve seems to have something more than the other teams. Right now, it’s not easy to find in Italy someone that can rival them.”

Juve have won 18 and lost just one of their 26 league games this season and are also alive in the Champions League and the Coppa Italia.

Roma have faded the past two months with draws in eight of their last nine league games.

The Giallorossi go into Monday’s home game against Sampdoria after holding Fiorentina to a 1-1 draw in Tuscany in the Europa League last 16 first leg on Thursday.

Roma have not won at home since November 30 but the Eternal City’s other team, Lazio, is red hot.

Stefano Pioli has steered the Biancoceleste to four consecutive wins, results that have the side in third place. They will go for a fifth in a row at Torino.

Toro fell to a 3-2 defeat at Udinese last weekend and then lost 2-0 at Zenit St Petersburg on Thursday in the first leg of their Europa League tie.

Napoli are fourth but level on 46 points with Lazio.

Rafa Benitez’s side lock horns with Verona tomorrow in confident mood because in their Europa League last 16 opener against Dinamo Moscow on Thursday, they won 3-1 thanks to a hat-trick from Gonzalo Higuain.

Inter, whose first leg of their last 16 tie in the Europa League ended in a 3-1 victory for hosts Wolfsburg, host relegation-threatened Cesena.

Milan will play at Fiorentina on Monday. The Rossoneri are hoping to play in next season’s Europa League but they are seven points adrift of Sampdoria, who are sixth and hold the qualifying spot.

Zdenek Zeman returned to the helm of Cagliari this week and he will coach the Sardinian outfit when they take on a visiting Empoli.

Gianfranco Zola had replaced Zeman in December but was dismissed after the club’s fifth defeat in its last six games, a run that has seen the club drop to 18th.

Fixtures

Serie A

Playing today
Palermo vs Juventus - 18.00
Cagliari vs Empoli - 20.45

Tomorrow – 15.00
Atalanta vs Udinese
Genoa vs Chievo
Inter vs Cesena - 20.45
Sassuolo vs Parma
Verona vs Napoli - 18.00

Monday
Fiorentina vs Milan - 19.00
Torino vs Lazio - 19.00
Roma vs Sampdoria - 21.00

Standings: Juventus 61; Roma 50; Lazio, Napoli 46; Fiorentina, Sampdoria 42; Genoa 37; Inter, Torino 36; Milan, Palermo 35; Udinese 31; Empoli, Sassuolo, Verona 29; Chievo 26; Atalanta 24; Cagliari, Cesena 20; Parma 11.

Serie B

Played yesterday
Spezia vs Livorno - 3-0

Today – 15.00
Bari vs Varese
Brescia vs Latina
Carpi vs Pescara
Cittadella vs Crotone
Frosinone vs Entella
Perugia vs Pro Vercelli
Trapani vs Ternana
Lanciano vs Avellino

Tomorrow
Bologna vs Modena - 15.00

Monday
Vicenza vs Catania - 20.30

Leading standings: Carpi 59; Bologna 51; Avellino 49; Vicenza 48; Livorno, Frosinone 47; Spezia 46; Pescara 43.