The 17th matchday of Serie A kicks off just before Christmas. After the Friday and Saturday fixtures, Sunday promises even more excitement, starting with the showdown at the Stadio Olimpico between Roma and Parma. It's a true relegation battle, an unusual situation for the Giallorossi. Claudio Ranieri will face his past, as he coached Parma in 2007, leading them to an unexpected survival at the end of the season. However, sentimentality aside, the Testaccio-born coach demands answers from his squad after the defeat in Como. On the other side, Parma faces a true curse in Rome, having not won in the capital since 1997, with only draws or losses since then.
Following that is the clash between Venezia and Cagliari, a do-or-die match for both teams as they sit at the bottom and second-to-last positions in the standings. League leaders Atalanta, fresh off another extraordinary performance in the Coppa Italia, are set to host Empoli, one of this season's positive surprises. Empoli approaches the game following a painful loss to Torino at the Castellani.
In the evening fixture, Juventus travels to Monza for a crucial game that could determine the fate of Monza’s coach, Alessandro Nesta. For the Bianconeri, it's an opportunity to end their Serie A winless streak, which dates back to November 9 in the derby against Torino, while maintaining their undefeated status in the league.
Roma overcomes Genoa: El Shaarawy and Dybala lead the giallorossi’s comeback
18 Jan - 08:04 •
1' min
On Monday, Fiorentina and Inter take to the field. Fresh from securing a spot in the Conference League Round of 16, Fiorentina will face Udinese. Meanwhile, Inter hosts Como at San Siro. The last encounter in Milan between these two teams was on March 16, 2003, and ended with a resounding 4-0 victory for the home side.
