by Tommaso Adami
All games will be played behind closed doors
Parma vs Spal - Sunday, March 8 - 11.30am GMT
Sunday's controversial lunchtime fixture dishes out yet another Derby d'Emilia, with the hosts coming in as the clear favourites over rock bottom SPAL.
Parma are among the teams who weren't able to play for two consecutive weekends due to the Coronavirus outbreak. They currently sit 9th in the standings with 35 points in 24 games, and they'll be looking for a win to try and keep their dreams of European football alive. The second Europa League spot, in fact, is currently held by Gattuso's new-look Napoli, who have a total of 39 points but haven't skipped any game. The last time the Gialloblù played was in mid-February, when they were able to get all three points away at Sassuolo thanks to a trademark counter attack orchestrated by Jasmin Kurtic, assisted by Andreas Cornelius and finalised by clinical Gervinho. With only 30 goals against so far, Parma are the 5th best defence in the league, and this game looks like the right opportunity to try and leapfrog further up the table.
SPAL, on the other hand, sit at the very bottom of the league with a mere 15 points in 25 games. Not even the appointment of former Italy defender Luigi Di Biagio as their new manager has helped turn the team's form around, and the Estensi are as desperate for points as they've ever been. The last time they collected any was in a 2-1 away victory over Atalanta in late January, a pretty remarkable accomplishment considering the opposition. Since then, they've lost all of the following five fixtures, for a grand total of five goals scored and 14 allowed. Striker Andrea Petagna has scored ten of his team's total 19 this season, but will he be enough to get at least one point from Parma?
AC Milan vs Genoa - Sunday, March 8 - 2pm GMT
A fixture not to be overlooked takes place at the San Siro, as AC Milan host a fierce Genoa side fighting for top-flight survival.
Stefano Pioli's men are looking for a crucial win in order not to lose further ground to 6th place Napoli. The Rossoneri haven't played in over two weeks, and before then they had managed to collect only five total points in the games against Verona, Inter, Torino and Fiorentina. New signing Amir Begovic is set to start in goal over injured Gigio Donnarumma, as for the rest we should expect Milan to line up in their now usual 4-4-2 formation with Zlatan Ibrahimovic partnering with either Rafael Leao or Ante Rebic upfront. If the hosts wish to continue fighting in the battle for next year's Europa League, then this is a game they cannot overlook. Given the current form of their opponents, however, getting all three shouldn't be an easy task.
The visitors currently sit in the highest spot of the drop zone, six points above Brescia and one below cross-city rivals Sampdoria. After two managerial changes in the matter of three months, Genoa finally seem to have found the right leader to keep their Serie A hopes alive. In fact, ever since the appointment of Davide Nicola as their manager, the Rossoblù have collected eleven points in eight games, which wouldn't sound like a noteworthy stat if only they hadn't managed to collect just as many in the previous 17 appearances. At this point in the season, every game is vital for Nicola's men. And considering that Lazio are the only team they've lost to in their last five appearances, AC Milan should brace themselves for quite a game of football.
Sampdoria vs Hellas Verona - Sunday, March 8 - 2pm GMT
One of the very worst defences in the league hosts Serie A's 4th best, with the visitors looking for a pivotal win in their quest for a legendary Europa League qualification.
After quite an impressive start as Sampdoria manager, Claudio Ranieri seems to have lost a bit of consistency over the last one and a half months. In fact, the Blucerchiati have collected only four points in their last five games, scoring seven goals and conceding a staggering 15. More than anything, Sampdoria must find their defensive form as soon as possible: with Genoa rising from their ashes, any slip in the battle for Serie A survival could be deadly.
Sitting 8th with 35 points in 24 games, if Verona win both of the postponed games they will rise to 6th, two points above Napoli. The Scaligeri are one of the true revelations of the current campaign, an explosive combination of experienced veterans and highly promising youngsters. Ivan Juric's men haven't lost a game since early December, and they have collected half of the points available in their last four games against AC Milan, Lazio, Juventus and Udinese. The Gialloblù of the northeast are indeed in great shape, but they might need an extra pinch of resolve if they want to make their first season back in Serie A truly outstanding.
Udinese vs Fiorentina - Sunday, March 8 - 5pm GMT
With both teams dwelling in the lower half of the table, a draw would be a meaningless result for either of the parties involved. Their form, however, is not the most brilliant.
Sitting five points above the drop zone with one game in hand, Luca Gori's eleven can't find the form that saw them win three consecutive games between late December and early January. Ever since losing 3-2 to AC Milan at the San Siro, the Bianconeri have collected only three points in six games, drawing all of their last three. What's more worrying, however, is that Udinese can't seem to find the net if not through Argentinian talent Rodrigo de Paul or Italian striker Stefano Okaka, who have each scored five of the team's total 21 goals this season. Featuring names like Ken Sema, Seko Fofana and Rolando Mandragora, Udinese have a midfield studded with quality, but they must find their groove if they want to put the relegation scare behind them once and for all.
Beppe Iachini's cure has worked to an extent for the Viola, whose main issue goes by the name of inconsistency. Fiorentina, who have collected only five points in their last five games, are floating in the Serie A mid-table waters, two points above Udinese and without any concrete objectives. One could be that of finding an identity, though they've repeatedly failed to do so throughout the season. At least their fans have more than a few positives to look at: when properly supported, Serbian teenager Dusan Vlahovic looks like a reliable offensive weapon, while midfielder Gaetano Castrovilli might as well be one of the brightest stars in the next generation of Italian footballers.
Juventus vs Inter - Sunday, March 8 - 7.45pm GMT
As Lazio watch comfortably from the top, Italy's most bitter rivals face off in what could be a decisive game in this year's three-horse title race.
Having been recently outplayed by teams like Hellas Verona and Olympique Lyonnais, Maurizio Sarri's Juventus are not exactly the ruthless team we've been used to seeing for the past eight years. However, they come from two consecutive Serie A wins, and their experience as well as the impressive quality of their roster still makes them "the team to beat" in Italy. Especially at the light of their most recent European debacle, the Bianconeri will take the pitch willing to make a statement to their direct competitors, showing everybody that the Juventus dynasty is far from over. Additionally, Turin's powerhouse can also count on a particularly favourable record in the Derby d'Italia. The last time they lost to Inter was in fact in September, 2016: since then, they have won four of the following six fixtures.
The last time Inter played in the league they were defeated 2-1 away by now league leaders Lazio. Despite the two Europa League wins that followed, Antonio Conte's men have been itching to play another Serie A game for almost three weeks. At this moment in the season the stakes are higher than ever, and if the Nerazzurri are serious about this title race they only have one option: that is to play the perfect game and snatch all three points from their opponents. Differently from Sarri, Conte has been employing much clearer and straightforward tactics, even though Inter have recently shown a few worrying weaknesses and a certain lack of creativity upfront. As they are in desperate need of guarantees, Samir Handanovic is officially back in goal, while fans hope that both Lautaro Martinez and Christian Eriksen will be as deadly as the world knows they can be.
Sassuolo vs Brescia - Monday, March 9 - 5.30pm GMT
As the home team look to make it three wins in four games, only a victory can boost the Rondinelle's hopes for Serie A survival.
Roberto De Zerbi's Sassuolo are capable of it all, from playing brilliantly and winning against "top six" teams to dropping precious points at the hands of mid-to-lower-table sides. The Biancoverdi have collected an impressive eleven points in their last five appearances, with former Chelsea forward Jeremie Boga putting in an absolute show in a number of occasions. Playing European football next season might be too ambitious of a goal, but Sassuolo could still use the remaining matches of the season to improve their status of "average team" after seven consecutive campaigns in Italy's top flight. With Inter and Atalanta away coming up next, winning this home fixture is almost mandatory.
Raising the ceiling to 22 points, Genoa have really ruined the scene for the other teams in the table's red zone. Among these are Brescia, who currently sit six points behind the Rossoblù and truly need a miracle to survive relegation. Nothing, however, seems to go their way, and despite noteworthy performances against Cagliari, AC Milan and Udinese, they have managed to improve their tally by only two points in their last six appearances. Could this be the time for Mario Balotelli to shine for his hometown club and become the hero many hoped he'd be? With Euro 2020 now only a few months away, it would be about time for Supermario to show Roberto Mancini that he's still got it, possibly on a more consistent basis.