Serie A, Week 8: Inter Milan, Roma victorious Sunday

Sergio Almiron wasted a glorious chance on seven minutes after a defence-splitting ball exposed Inter’s back three. The Argentinean midfielder controlled the ball with his face, then blazed over from point blank range. It was a case of the right ball finding the wrong man.

Catania went to sleep on a long throw in. Milito ran clear and slid an inviting ball across for Cassano, only to see Andujar smother it. Cassano tried to do the same for Palacio, but put it too far in front of him and Palacio couldn’t slide onto it in time.

Surprisingly enough, the first half of the match was fairly captivating, played at a fast pace and with plenty of action at either end. The Viola habit of waiting until the last possible second to clear their lines put an element of surprise into every Chievo chance.

Alas, if only the ball had gone in, how much more interesting would the second half had been. Instead Chievo were content to play for the point -- as always -- shutting down the Viola and taking very few opportunities to create anything themselves. Considering that a point still keeps them just two points above the drop, perhaps the Flying Donkeys need to reconsider their strategy.

As if that weren’t enough to dampen the partenopei spirits, Juve grabbed another goal less than two minutes later. Pogba pounced on a poorly cleared ball, hitting it on the volley for a fantastic strike that beat a diving De Sanctis at the far post.

The win takes Juve’s unbeaten streak in the league up to 47, and gives Napoli their first loss of the season.

Palermo Injuries and Suspensions

Torino Injuries and Suspensions

Parma Injuries and Suspensions:

Sampdoria Injuries and Suspensions:

Atalanta Injuries and Suspensions:

This may help explain why Atalanta are in the drop zone.

Fiorentina won’t need reminding that Chievo did the double over them last season and the fact that they are yet to win away from home this season. However, just two losses in seven games does make the Viola hard to beat.

Keep a close eye on Adem Ljajic. Look away now Delio Rossi! The former Manchester United man has cleaned his act up and is no longer the disruptive influence that blighted him last season. If the Fiorentina midfield can take some of the scoring burden off Jovetic’s shoulders, then the Flying Donkeys won’t have their tails up at the final whistle.

Stramaccioni’s shift from a four-man backline to a 3-5-2 has been hailed as the greatest thing since dried pasta. It may not be truly revolutionary, but Inter have won three out of three since the change. This willingness to adapt, along with their mixture of experience and youth has prompted many to believe they’re able to challenge for the scudetto this season.

Inter Milan Injuries and Suspensions

Cagliari, under new coaching duo Iva Pulga and Diego Lopez, managed to grab their first win two weeks ago, a rather surprising 1-0 victory over Torino. Sure, they needed a penalty to do it, but wins are wins, particularly when your side is in the relegation zone. And when you’ve only scored four goals in seven matches, there’s even less of a reason to question the method in which you manage to get the ball in the back of the net.

Typically sides in 12th place, which is where Bologna are sitting, aren’t considered to be relegation battlers. But really, that’s just two points above the drop, and the right combination of wins could see the rossoblu slide quickly down. It’s likely AC Milan and Udinese will right their listing ships, Parma and Chievo will work out the kinks, and Atalanta and Siena will overcome their pre-season point deductions. So if Bologna want to avoid Serie B, it’s sides like Cagliari that they must beat.

Lazio won this fixture 2-0 back in February to snap a 14 year winless streak against the Rossoneri. Despite picking up back-to-back league victories before the international break, the hosts will be wary of a Milan side still licking their wounds from a bitter Derby Della Madonnina defeat to rivals Inter.

Lazio injuries and suspensions

The trouble is, neither Napoli or Juve have slipped. Not only are they both unbeaten, as everyone knows, but they’ve barely conceded goals. Napoli have let in just three, Juventus follow with four. Considering the fact that both their defenses can make supporters quiver in terror, this is fairly impressive.

Even if Cavani was at perfect fitness and Buffon was missing from goal, Juventus would still be favored to win this match. Their midfield is excellent and orchestrated by the nearly infallible Pirlo. Goals, as has been mentioned, could come from almost anywhere. If the bianconeri frustrate the visitors, as they almost certainly will, Napoli will likely give away fouls in locations that lead to goals.