Once again, there is a bunch of big, mean snow in Italy. Juventus, who have the absolute worst luck in the world with these things, have had their match against Bologna called off. This is their fourth Serie A fixture this season that has been postponed. Parma vs. Fiorentina is also off due to snow.
Serie A 2012, Week 23 Preview And Fixtures: Weather Claims Two Games; Milan Play Udinese Saturday
Two Serie A fixtures have been called off due to snow, but Udinese vs. AC Milan is one of the games that will go forward.
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Udinese vs. AC Milan
Saturday, 12:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. CET
Between AC Milan's injury and suspension issues, Udinese will see this as not only an opportunity to pick up some points in the Champions League race, but pick up three and push for a Scudetto challenge. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Antonio Cassano, Alexandre Pato and Kevin-Prince Boateng are all out for the Rossoneri's hobbled attack. Udinese are missing Giampiero Pinzi and Floro Flores, but have everyone else healthy. Their width is going to be tough for Milan to deal with, and without their top forward players, Milan could be looking at a minor upset.
Saturday, 2:45 p.m. ET/8:45 p.m. CET
Palermo are certainly fun, if nothing else. They’ve picked up six goals and four points from their last two games and Fabrizio Miccoli is in stunning form. They’ll be facing a tough task on Sunday night, though. Cagliari has a strong defense and has not been beaten at home in nearly two months.
Atalanta vs. Lecce
Sunday, 9:00 a.m. ET, 3:00 p.m. CET
Atalanta and Lecce are both in the relegation race, though the current bottom three in Italy (which includes Lecce) seems to be pretty well-defined. Both teams are respectable enough going forward, but there's a major difference between their defenses. Atalanta's isn't too bad at all, while Lecce's is abysmal. German Denis and Maxi Moralez should be able to find a goal or three.
Catania vs. Genoa
Sunday, 9:00 a.m. ET, 3:00 p.m. CET
Catania's attack was mediocre with Maxi Lopez before he was sold to AC Milan, so they're finding it even tougher to score goals in a post-Lopez world. They're coming off a draw against Roma, but they're playing a high-scoring team coming off big wins over Napoli and Lazio. Genoa's defense is a bit shaky, so this game could have goals in it going both ways.
Inter Milan vs. Novara
Sunday, 9:00 a.m. ET, 3:00 p.m. CET
Inter have been very poor lately, but there’s nothing to help a team get their confidence back like a home fixture against Novara. Claudio Ranieri looks a bit unlikely to keep the reigns going into next season as is, but he might struggle to make it until May if this game doesn’t result in a big win for the Nerazzurri.
Napoli vs. Chievo Verona
Monday, 2:45 p.m. ET, 8:45 p.m. CET
No team has been a thorn in Napoli's side like Chievo Verona. Though a home game against the Flying Donkeys would represent a good opportunity for most slumping top-half teams to get back on track, that is certainly not the case for Napoli, unless something very significant has changed recently. Chievo has won all three of the last three league matches between these two teams, and they've been the better side in all of them as well. It's inexplicable, but it can't really be a fluke at this point.
Monday, 2:45 p.m. ET, 8:45 p.m. CET
Siena are fourth from bottom, but they’re actually a respectable side at home. Roma, meanwhile, aren’t any better than a mid-table side away from home. Roma have been average or poor in their last two road games against average opposition, so an upset isn’t unthinkable. Siena are coming off of a 2-1 Coppa Italia win over Napoli and a 0-0 draw against Juventus in the league.
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