Milan, Italy – When Claudio Ranieri took over as manager of Inter Milan in September the Nerazzurri was hovering just above the drop zone and in the midst of a terrible start to the season.
But since the former Chelsea boss took control at the San Siro, Inter's fortunes have greatly improved as the club has enjoyed a steady climb up the Serie A ranks over the past few months.
Last weekend's 1-0 derby win over AC Milan moved Inter to within one point of fourth-place Lazio, which visits the San Siro on Sunday trying to snap Inter's seven-game winning streak in all competitions.
Inter also trails leaders Juventus by just six points, making Ranieri's men unlikely title contenders after a dismal start.
AC Milan fell one point back of Juve after the derby defeat, which also snapped a 12-game unbeaten streak in league play for the club. The Rossoneri will try to bounce back on the road at last-place Novara, with Juventus coming off of a 1-1 draw against Cagliari and visiting Atalanta.
Udinese dropped three points off the pace following a 3-2 loss at Genoa last weekend and will try to return to the win column on Sunday at home against Catania, which has won once in its last five games.
Napoli has claimed seven points from the past three games and visits a Siena side that sits one place above the drop zone, while Roma goes for a fourth straight win when the club entertains relegation-battling Cesena.
Parma put an end to a six-game winless streak last time out with a 3-1 win over Siena and will visit Bologna on Sunday with an eye toward moving into the top half of the league.
Cagliari and Fiorentina get together at the San Elia Stadium with the two sides separated by only one point, second-from-the-bottom Lecce hosts Chievo and Palermo takes on a Genoa side that has lost three of its past five games.
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