There are nine games remaining in the top division of Italian football and the Serie A title race is still open. Only three points separate league leaders Juventus FC and title chasers SSC Napoli.
The Turin club are looking to finish strong so they can claim their fifth consecutive Scudetto. Napoli are searching for their first title since 1990. In third place, AS Roma have an outside chance of closing the eight-point gap between themselves and Juventus. This looks to be a thrilling title race that could go right to the wire.
Juventus are in good form in the league with four wins and a draw from their last five, including a crucial 1-0 victory over Napoli at the Juventus Stadium. They have plenty of title-winning experience and The Old Lady faithful will expect their team to use it to see this one through. They are strong favourites with the bookies to win the Serie A title.
Wednesday night saw Juventus dumped out of the UEFA Champions League by Bayern Munich with a 6-4 aggregate defeat. While this should focus their attentions on the domestic league, it could dent their confidence at a crucial stage in the season. Juventus manager Max Allegri recently stated the club have to win most of their remaining matches, declaring the title race still "wide open".
Napoli need to pick up the pace if they are to usurp Juventus. Their recent form is patchy, but after winning their last two league games, they are back on the right track. One thing that will give them confidence is the outstanding form of twenty-eight year-old Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuan who has 29 goals already this season and is the league top-goalscorer.
Blues manager Maurizio Sarri regarded his forward as being "in another class" hailing his influence as akin to that of Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi at their respective clubs. The frontman scored the winner in Napoli's latest win at Palermo last Sunday. The Blues recently surpassed a club record for back-to-back league victories and will site this as evidence that they are capable of winning all their remaining games.
Roma sit in third position and are currently the in form team in Serie A with eight wins in eight games. Manager Luciano Spalletti is focused on Saturday's home fixture against Inter Milan and holding on to their current spot in the division, looking at his own team, "not at Juventus". Following Inter, Spalletti's team face another tricky tie away to Lazio.
Confidence is high at the Stadio Olimpico and The Wolves will know that if their resurgence continues, it is possible to catch their title rivals. They last lifted the title in 2001 and realistically that wait is likely to continue. If they win their next two games they should claim a crucial Champion's League spot for next season and that would be enough to appease the club's passionate fans.
The Serie A title promises to conclude with a thrilling two-horse race. Both teams have the players and the ability to take it right to the final couple of games. The leaders took a crucial three-points from The Blues back in February. That result halted Napoli's winning streak and gave Juventus the psychological edge. Confidence will be the crucial factor in the final run-in between now and May 15th.