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Today in the Italian championship, all 28th round matches will be played. The most interesting match will undoubtedly be the "Italian derby" between "Juventus" and "Inter". Here are brief descriptions of all the matches.
This match has always been intriguing and intense. This season the teams have already met three times: in the cup both matches ended in a 2-2 draw and "Juventus" won after 11m penalty shootouts, while in the league "Inter" defeated their opponents 3-1. Lately, both teams have had a series of poor results, missing many injured players. However, now they are picking up points, slowly recovering the injured players. A victory today would be very important for both teams. "Inter" will be without goalkeeper F. Toldo and forward A. Recoba, and captain J. Zanetti might be given a rest. "Juventus" will be missing Nedved, Del Piero, and Thuram, so coach Lippi will have to change tactics.
The worst team in the league, "Ancona", continues their streak of failures and is looking for their first win of the season. "Sampdoria" has let victory slip from their hands in the last minutes twice in a row, so they will have to push harder this time if they want to keep their dreams of reaching the UEFA Cup alive.
Carlo Mazzone's "Bologna" has been playing excellently lately, winning three weeks in a row. This streak of victories has helped them move away from the bottom of the table. Last week, "Bologna" seemed to have finally put "Roma" out of the running for the champions title. This time the opponent is not as strong, and the coach will have to change the defensive strategy. "Reggina" showed last week against "Inter" that they can play, but failed to capitalize on opportunities, costing them crucial points.
In the last round, "Chievo" missed out on seconds and could have become the first team this year to beat "Milan". Meanwhile, "Parma" crushed "Empoli" and can still dream of the fourth place, but they need to win today. "Chievo" has been playing poorly at home this season, while their opponents already have six away wins.
The teams occupying 16th and 17th places will face off in a very important match, and a loss could practically send one team to Serie B. "Perugia" has been playing really well in the past month and is continuing their climb from the bottom, but "Empoli" players will surely fight until the last minute. The match should be very tense, and one goal could be crucial this season.
The Rome club will seek revenge for a humiliating defeat in Siena in the first meeting of these teams. Those matches were called the worst of the season by "Lazio" players, so today they should have no lack of motivation to show the mid-table teams who is stronger. "Siena" forward Enrico Chiesa will play against his former club and will have something to prove as well.
"Lecce" coach Rossi is confident that his team can take points from the "Roma" club. However, they will be missing their team leader Chevantono, who scored in the first meeting between the teams in Rome. "Roma" has had other issues recently. It was decided not to allow their fans to attend two home games due to their behavior, and the suspended Rome derby has been postponed to a later date. In financial terms, the club has some good news, as the bank "Capitalia" is ready to help. This change was very welcomed by "Roma" captain Francesco Totti, who hopes that his team will remain strong in the future.
The league leaders "Milan" are getting closer to the championship title. It doesn't seem like the underdogs "Modena" are the team to stop them, although they played quite well against "Juve" in the last round. "Milan" coach Carlo Ancelotti will have to field more substitute players due to injuries and the upcoming Champions League matches, but the "second" Milan club can certainly put up a good fight, as they have shown more than once.
Marius Stankevicius' "Brescia", in excellent form, travels to the Friuli stadium to face the struggling "Udinese". The latter has earned only one point in their last 6 matches. Furthermore, today Luciano Spalleti's team will be without Sensini, Pinzi, Pazienza, and Pizarro. So, led by the legendary Roberto Baggio, "Brescia" has a good chance to earn points.
