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Sports

Saturday April 11, 2009

Old Lady face potential banana skin at Genoa

ROME: Juventus travel to Italy’s oldest club today — Genoa — hoping to resurrect their failing Serie A title chances.

The record scudetto champions have a nine-point deficit to leaders Inter Milan following last weekend’s disappointing 3-3 home draw against lowly Chievo and if they are to have any chance of being in the title race when they host Inter next week, a win is a must.

However, that won’t be easy away to Genoa, who themselves are fighting for fourth place and a spot in next season’s Champions League.

They have only lost once at home this season and that against Inter so the task facing Juve is a daunting one. However, young star Sebastian Giovinco says his team are not giving up on the scudetto just yet.

“A nine-point gap to Inter does not mean that the scudetto is over,” he said.

“It’s our duty to continue to dream because you never know what might happen in life.

“Until it becomes mathematically impossible we’ll be snapping away at Inter’s heels.”

However, Giovinco knows that Juve cannot get distracted by next week’s clash of the titans as today’s game at the Stadio Ferraris presents a potential banana skin.

“It’s definitely going to be a great match. We’re second and they’re fourth, I can already feel a great atmosphere building,” he added.

“Then there’s the fact that the Ferraris is an English style stadium, very atmospheric.

“Genoa will have to be wary of us, we’re going there to win because we can’t afford to slip up.

“I don’t think a defeat for them on Saturday will be a big problem, they’ll still finish fourth, they’re playing too well at the moment not to.”

However, Genoa’s Champions League qualifying position is under threat from both Fiorentina, who host Cagliari, and AS Roma, who take on Lazio in the Rome derby.

Fiorentina sit just two points back with Roma a further three behind.

With eight games left, that and the battle to avoid relegation are the only matters that seem undecided in Serie A.

Leaders and champions Inter host Palermo who are still in contention for a UEFA Cup finish and will be hoping to take something home from the San Siro. But although Inter seem stonewall certainties to wrap up a fourth straight Serie A crown, Palermo coach Davide Ballardini does not think they will be hampered by complacency.

“The nerazzurri want to do well until the very end, there’s still a lot of matches left and our opponents will be fired up,” he warned.

Meanwhile AC Milan travel to Chievo under a cloud of incessant transfer rumours linking star playmaker Kaka with a move to Real Madrid and coach Carlo Ancelotti with a switch to Chelsea in the summer.

That won’t help Milan’s preparations for a tricky tie against a team that have lost only once in 13 matches. — AFP

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