Roma, Italy (SportsNetwork.com) - Roma enters its weekend fixture with Napoli at the Stadio Olimpico trying to keep hold of second place, while the visitors attempt to turn around their campaign in an effort to remain in European play.
The two teams have struggled in recent weeks with Roma enduring a five-game winless run that saw rivals Lazio close to within one point of Rudi Garcia's men.
Roma was able to end that skid with an unconvincing 1-0 win over second-from- the-bottom Cesena prior to the international break, but Garcia's men certainly need to improve their form in order to hold on to second place.
Napoli is in the midst of a four-game winless streak that has not only dropped the team out of the Champions League places but also in danger of missing out on European competition altogether.
Rafael Benitez's men lead sixth-place Fiorentina by only one point, so clearly a reversal of fortunes is needed.
Lazio, meanwhile, has been in excellent form having claimed six straight wins to put the club in position to overtake Roma.
During that winning streak Lazio has kept clean sheets in five of the six games while managing 14 goals of its own.
That winning streak figures to have a good chance at continuing on Saturday when the club visits relegation-battling Cagliari, while fourth-place Sampdoria tangles with sixth-place Fiorentina.
Juventus is 14 points clear at the top of Serie A and should have a good chance at collecting three more points against bottom-half Empoli.
Atalanta is five points above the relegation places and hosts Torino, Udinese invades Genoa, Cesena squares off with Hellas Verona, Inter Milan hosts last- place Parma, AC Milan meets up with Palermo and Chievo takes on Sassuolo.
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