Irrepressible Inter target part two of treble
Reuters - Thursday 06 May 2010, 09:08
MILAN - Fresh from an Italian Cup triumph
over AS Roma, treble-chasing Inter Milan are fired up to deny
their southern rivals again and wrap up their fifth straight
Serie A title on Sunday.
A home win over mid-table Chievo, coupled with
second-placed Roma failing to beat Cagliari in the capital,
would hand Jose Mourinho's side the second part of a possible
treble with the Champions League final against Bayern Munich
awaiting on May 22.
Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder may miss the Chievo match
after suffering another thigh injury five minutes into the 1-0
win over Roma on Wednesday which sealed their sixth Italian
Cup.
"I got a kick on my leg and some blood came out, but I feel
better now. At least I can walk so we will see what happens,"
he told Inter's TV channel.
"I'm very happy about my first cup in Italy. We can take
two more this year and we have to go for it, but the most
important one is the first one and now we have to keep focused
and win two more titles."
Inter have a two point-lead over Roma with two games to go
but Claudio Ranieri said his side would refuse to buckle
despite signs of real frustration in the Cup final.
WILD KICK
Captain Francesco Totti was sent off for a wild kick at
Mario Balotelli late in the game, far from impressing watching
Italy coach Marcello Lippi as the pair mull whether he should
come out of international retirement for the World Cup.
Roma were in the driving seat for the title but last
month's home defeat to Sampdoria could ultimately cost them.
That win also made Samp favourites for the fourth Champions
League qualifying spot but they visit their only rivals Palermo
on Sunday in a match which could be worth so much in terms for
finance and prestige.
Samp lead Palermo by two points so a win would send the
1992 European Cup runners-up into next season's Champions
League qualifying round at the expense of bigger names such as
Juventus and Fiorentina, who have flopped this term.
Luigi Del Neri's Sampdoria even have a chance of pipping AC
Milan to the third automatic Champions League place.
Milan, four points above Samp, visit Genoa on Sunday with
the future of boss Leonardo again the focus with media reports
saying Marco van Basten and former Cagliari manager
Massimiliano Allegri have joined youth coach Filippo Galli in
the running to take over if the Brazilian leaves.
Third-from-bottom Atalanta travel to Napoli but are five
points from safety and need a miracle to avoid following Siena
and Livorno into Serie B.
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