Serie A:Mourinho can't wait to lift Scudetto

godtabh

Preview

Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho is counting the days until he captures the scudetto in his first season as a coach in Serie A.

Mourinho's club goes into this weekend's game at Napoli 10 points clear of AC Milan and Juventus.

The Nerazzurri only managed to draw their previous two games, including last weekend's 1-1 stalemate against Juve, but the Portuguese coach said: "If Inter wins the scudetto it will be something very important for my career because having won the Premiership title in my first year in England, I would win the scudetto in my first year in Italy.

"And in my opinion Inter will win the scudetto. We haven't won it yet but we will. Juventus and Milan need to get back 10 points on us.

"We still have six games left to play in which, according to me, we will clinch eight or nine points. Even if the other two were to manage 18 points in the last six games, something which is possible, Inter would still end with more points.

"I reiterate, we are not the champions yet, but we will be."

In-form AC Milan entertain Palermo at the San Siro on the back of three consecutive triumphs.

Their 5-1 win over Torino in the last round allowed the Rossoneri to leapfrog Juve into second in the table.

Juve will be desperate to bounce back from their painful midweek Coppa Italia elimination when they meet rock-bottom Reggina at the Oreste Granillo Stadium.

Claudio Ranieri's side lost 2-1 against Lazio in Turin, much to their fans' disappointment with their team set to finish the season empty-handed.

Fourth-place Genoa will be boosted by the return of Diego Milito from injury when they travel to relegation strugglers Bologna.

A Genoa defeat would benefit Fiorentina, who are two points behind the fourth and final Champions League qualifying spot.

However, the Viola face a huge task as they host a Roma side also looking to finish in the top four.

Atalanta go into Sunday's game at Lazio knowing that coach Luigi Del Neri will not remain at the club next season.

Del Neri, who has guided the club to safety for a second successive year, turned down an offer to extend his contract which ends this summer.

Sampdoria will fancy their chances of taking a positive result against Cagliari on Sunday with the Blucerchiati unbeaten at the Marassi stadium since January 18.

A reinvigorated Chievo will attempt to take another step closer to survival when they host Udinese.

The Flying Donkeys are eight points clear of the drop zone after last weekend's 2-0 win at Siena.

Strugglers Torino will be under pressure to take a positive result against Siena knowing that anything but a win would see them drop into the relegation zone.

Catania will have to overcome the absence of the team's top-scorer Giuseppe Mascara this weekend when they make the journey to Lecce.

Mascara serves a one-match ban.

Saturday, April 25, 2009
Time Home Away VENUE
17:00 UK Chievo Verona v Udinese Stadio Marc`Antonio Bentegodi
19:30 UK Fiorentina v AS Roma Artemio Franchi
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Time Home Away VENUE
14:00 UK Reggina v Juventus Stadio Oreste Granillo
14:00 UK AC Milan v Palermo Giuseppe Meazza
14:00 UK Torino v Siena Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino
14:00 UK Lazio v Atalanta Olimpico
14:00 UK Bologna v Genoa Renato Dall'Ara
14:00 UK Sampdoria v Cagliari Comunale Luigi Ferraris
14:00 UK Lecce v Catania Stadio Via del Mare
19:30 UK Napoli v Internazionale San Paolo

Getting close down the bottom. One more win for Chievo Verona and they should stay up.

I'd like to see Bologna stay up and I think they've a good chance

godtabh

Inter lose Milan win Juve draw

Inters lead down to 7 points

Seaneh

Inter to crumble in a epic way and only get 7 points from the next 15 while Milan take them all for most dramatic league run in ever?

No, didn't think so myself either...

PiE

I'd laugh myself silly if it happened. If Milan get 2nd it'd be a huge achievement.

Seaneh

Yeah when you consider the injuries we've had this year 2nd is a very good achivement, I honestly believe if we'd had Nesta, Kalazde, Kaka and Gattauso fit for most of the season we'd be atleast level with inter. This season has been a massive improvement on last season, we've made the San Siro a fortress where teams don't like to play against us where as last year we looked like the away team in most home games and couldn't string two home wins in a row together!

Next season with players like Nesta, Boriello Kaladze, Kaka and Ronaldinho back to full fittness, Gourcuff back from loan and having Thiago Silva and Felipe Mattioni available for selection with one of two more reinforcements we will easily be challenging in the league and might be able get to the semis of the CL.

PiE

Cheers for that summary, I haven't paid as much attention to Milan/Serie A as I used to.

What's the general consensus on Pato?

Seaneh

Pato = best thing since Sliced Bread, probably our best signing since Kaka, great goals return for a 19 year old (just) and looks better every game.

Very few players in the world are as comfortable on the ball but he has a habbit of not knowing when to release it, but so did messi at that age, he'll grow out of it.

Gets absolutely kicked around most games and just gets up and ploughs on, so thats a good sign, no rolling around worrying about his hair!

also, for a lad of his build is suprisingly strong and good in the air!

We like the duck!