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AC Milan or Juventus for the Serie A title? Goal.com editors make their predictions Goal.com's team of experts turn their attention to the Serie A title race as they predict the results from the final six weeks to decide who they think will be crowned champions. Apr 6, 2012 There are just six weeks of the Serie A season remaining, with eight games separating success from failure for many of the 20 top-flight sides. For AC Milan and Juventus in particular, the run-in will be of significant consequence, with the destiny of the Scudetto still very much up in the air. Though Juventus have led the way for much of the term, it is now Milan who are in the driver's seat. However, after Juve's 3-0 win over Napoli last week, they now sit just two points behind the Rossoneri, whose 1-1 draw at Catania saw their advantage halved. But Milan's defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday means that both sides are on a level playing field, with no distractions for either club between now and May 13. But who will be celebrating after Week 38? We assembled a panel of experts and asked them to predict the run-in, and judge who will win the title as a result. Will Milan hold their nerve to come through in the final weeks? Do Juventus have what it takes to stay the course and clinch their first post-Calciopoli title? Our experts have their say below, and we'd also like you to consider the run-in yourself and tell us who you reckon will finish top in our poll. VITTORIO CAMPANILE - Goal.com Italy WINNERS: Juventus (84 points) RUNNERS-UP: Milan (84 points) I think Juventus will emerge triumphant because Antonio Conte has the will to push his team over the line. For their part, Milan are the better team, but they have too many injured players. The Champions League could have a negative impact not only on the minds of the players, but also on the legs, and with not too many options available, Massimiliano Allegri could be in big trouble. The match against Siena should be the deciding one for Milan. And don't forget that there is the derby and Inter would love to stop Milan on the penultimate week. CARLO GARGANESE - Goal.com International WINNERS: Juventus (86 points) RUNNERS-UP: Milan (86 points) I am going to put everything I have on the line here and say that Juventus will win every single remaining game this season. On the face of it, this may seem unlikely, but if the Bianconeri can win their hardest remaining match this weekend then such a scenario is not impossible. Milan have a reasonably easy run-in and should have too much quality to beat Inter in the derby, but the away trips to Chievo and Siena will not be straightforward and it would not surprise me at all to see them slip up in one of them. Having said this, though, if Juventus don't beat Palermo this Saturday I expect Milan to win the Scudetto. So this weekend is absolutely crucial if the Old Lady are to dream of catching the Rossoneri. KRIS VOAKES - Goal.com International WINNERS: Milan (86 points) RUNNERS-UP: Juventus (84 points) Like Carlo, I believe that this weekend's trip to Palermo could be the biggest test for Juve, and the Rosanero could really put a spanner in the works, with their ability to play an efficient counterattacking game a huge danger to the Old Lady. Thereafter, they should have enough to win their remaining games, though there's always the danger of the odd slip-up as has been the case this season in many of their 14 draws. Milan look a little vulnerable right now, but they have the added bonus of a get-out clause in Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and with his input there's always the belief that they'll scrape their way through difficult fixtures and just - JUST! - see their way to the title. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 31 - 7-4-2012 (6:30 p.m.) - Renzo Barbera Stadium - Palermo Referee: Christian Brighi Palermo will make life difficult for Juventus, says Mutti The 57-year-old coach is eagerly anticipating this weekend's encounter against the Turin giants, and is confident that his side can trouble the Bianconeri. Apr 6, 2012 Palermo boss Bortolo Mutti is looking forward to the upcoming Serie A match against Juventus, and believes that the Sicilians have what it takes to spring a surprise over the visitors. Mutti admits that it won't be an easy game, but is nonetheless confident that they can record a positive result on Saturday. "We must face them in the right way and we have to try to make their life difficult. Juve are still unbeaten, but football is quite strange and anything can happen," Mutti stated during a press conference. "Sometimes you have to show a different attitude in certain situations. We need to field a balanced line-up in order to cause Juve difficulties. We must not limit ourselves to the defensive aspects of the game though." http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 31 - 7-4-2012 (6:30 p.m.) - Renzo Barbera Stadium - Palermo Referee: Christian Brighi Conte: Juventus are waiting for a Milan slip-up The 42-year-old coach reiterated that he is not obsessed with how the Rossoneri fare, but assured that his side will be ready to pounce if the Serie A champions drop points. Apr 6, 2012 Antonio Conte is hoping for AC Milan to slip up and allow Juventus to return to the top of the Serie A standings. The Old Lady trail the Rossoneri by just two points, and with only eight matches remaining in the championship, they must rely on Massimiliano Allegri's men dropping points to have a chance of securing the Scudetto. "We are not thinking about what Milan will do, but what we will do," Conte told reporters at a news conference. "We will have an important match against Palermo on Saturday, which could allow us to keep our dream alive. "Milan have a two-point lead and an easier fixture list than us. We are on the right track, we must continue to win and wait for Milan to slip up. "We will give our all so that we will not have any regrets after our matches." Conte, who took charge of Juventus in the summer, stressed he is not worried about extending his contract, which expires in 2013. "I think that when the time is right, we will discuss it all," the 42 year old said. The Italian coach then confirmed that he will give Fabio Quagliarella the nod to start on Saturday after the striker's goal against Napoli last weekend. "Quagliarella is in good shape and he will feature from the start," Conte added. Juventus' clash at Palermo kicks off at 18.30CET. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Bonucci 'very proud' after signing new Juventus deal The former Bari defender is over the moon to have commited his future to the Bianconeri and explained just how much the club means to him. Apr 5, 2012 Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci revealed his delight after signing a new contract with the Bianconeri. The 24-year-old penned a new deal on Monday, which will see him stay in Turin until 2017. Bonucci, who arrived at Juve in 2010 from Bari, did not hide his happiness to have added two more years to his previous deal. "It is an indescribable joy what I am feeling," he wrote on his official website. "The shirt for which I have wept and rejoiced, for which I was angry as a child every time the club lost a game, is now mine - even more so after my renewal. "I am very proud and honoured to wear this great shirt for at least five more years. "I would like to thank all those who have believed in me, from the president to the coach, including the directors and my team-mates."

Bonucci: Five more years of Juve… Apr 5, 2012 Leonardo Bonucci has expressed his satisfaction after signing a new contract with Italian giants Juventus. The international defender extended his deal with the Old Lady this week until June 2017 – despite his previous agreement having another three years to run on it. “It’s an indescribable joy which I am feeling,” the former Inter and Bari man wrote on his personal website. “This shirt for which I have wept, rejoiced and spent days angered as a child after a loss is now mine – even more so after my renewal. “I’m proud and honoured that I will be able to wear this glorious jersey for at least another five years,” he added. “I want to specifically thank those who have always believed in me, from the President to the Coach, from the directors to my teammates. “I also want to thank the fans from my heart for supporting me and sometimes criticising me which helped me to grow.” Bonucci joined Juventus in the summer of 2010 for €15m after a sensational campaign in Serie A with Bari. The 24-year-old has scored one goal in 24 League games so far this term for the Bianconeri.

Juve: 'Scudetto or Coppa? Both!' Apr 4, 2012 Juventus patron John Elkann does not see why they should choose between targets this season. “Scudetto or Coppa Italia? Both!” The Bianconeri have not won silverware since Calciopoli, but are currently two points behind Serie A leaders Milan and in the Final of the cup against Napoli. “The team is playing well in both the League and the Cup competition, but as Antonio Conte says, it’s certainly not the time to lose concentration. “Scudetto or Coppa Italia? Both! Conte said we should have 24 lions playing the final eight games of the Serie A season, but I’d say 24 lions who are playing as one single lion.”

Serie A Week 31 - 7-4-2012 (6:30 p.m.) - Renzo Barbera Stadium - Palermo Referee: Christian Brighi Chiellini: 'Juve will fight to the end' Apr 4, 2012 Giorgio Chiellini assures “Juventus will fight to the bitter end” to take the Scudetto off Milan this season. The Bianconeri are in second place and just two points adrift of the Serie A leaders going into the Easter Saturday games. “I am certain Juventus will fight to the bitter end for the Scudetto,” the defender told children on a visit to a local school. “I tell youngsters not to smoke, to eat healthily and do lots of sports. We football players know that we set an example for children, so for this reason we must keep an eye on our behaviour.” This weekend Juventus visit Palermo, while Milan welcome Fiorentina to San Siro. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 31 - 7-4-2012 (6:30 p.m.) - Renzo Barbera Stadium - Palermo Referee: Christian Brighi Depleted Palermo target Juve upset Apr 4, 2012 Palermo are aware that it will take some effort to get a result against Scudetto-chasing Juventus on Saturday. The Rosanero have the fourth best home record in the Division, but the Old Lady are in form having won their last three games – scoring 10 and conceding none in the process. “We’ll try to beat them, but it will be very tough,” Vice-President Guglielmo Micciche commented. “We will be without the suspended Abel Hernandez, Massimo Donati and Andrea Mantovani. Meanwhile, Federico Balzaretti, Eros Pisano and Matias Silvestre are out injured. “It will be hard without half the team to get a positive result, but we’ll try to get some points even against a very strong Juventus side.” The Bianconeri haven’t beaten Palermo in Sicily since a 2-0 in February 2009 thanks to goals from Momo Sissoko and David Trezeguet. Palermo have won three of the last four at the Barbera against Juve – 2-1, 2-0 and 3-2. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Moggi loses latest appeal Apr 4, 2012 The Italian Olympic Committee have confirmed Luciano Moggi’s lifetime ban from any involvement in football. Former Juventus director Moggi, punished for his involvement in the 2006 Calciopoli sporting trial, had tried to get that suspension overturned. However, CONI’s high court has confirmed his ban, as well as those handed to ex-Juve official Antonio Giraudo and former FIGC Vice-President Innocenzo Mazzini.

Serie A Week 31 - 7-4-2012 (6:30 p.m.) - Renzo Barbera Stadium - Palermo Referee: Christian Brighi Conte’s 12-minute team talk Apr 4, 2012 The Italian media are speculating on exactly what Antonio Conte said to his Juventus troops during a 12-minute motivational speech. The tactician spoke at length to his entire squad on Tuesday in a bid to fire them up ahead of the last eight games of the campaign. “Milan will have to spit blood until the very end to win the championship,” the former midfielder allegedly stated. “People are flooding us with praise right now, but that sends shivers through me. Why? Because I have fear, I have fear, I have fear that someone here will start to relax. “There is applause and a consensus, but what is the reality? The reality is the pitch, the reality is sweat, the reality is sacrifice. “That is what has led us to this point of the championship and we still haven’t done anything yet… “Let’s look at who we have in front of us now because we are mature enough to fight until the very end. “As I said before, they will have to spit blood until the last game.” Juventus, who travel to Palermo this weekend, are now just two points behind leaders Milan in the championship. The Old Lady, unbeaten this term, will also face Napoli in the Coppa Italia Final next month. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Chiellini: Juventus will fight for the Scudetto until the end The 27-year-old stopper is refusing to write off his side's chances in the competition and says his team will fight until they are mathematically out of the race for the title. Apr 4, 2012 Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini has guaranteed that his side will do their utmost to dethrone AC Milan in Serie A. The Bianconeri are two points behind Milan in second place, with eight matches remaining in the competition. Juventus will not play against Milan again before the end of the season, but Chiellini has warned that his side will try to take advantage of any slip-ups from the Rossoneri. "I am certain Juventus will fight to the end for the Scudetto," Chiellini said during a visit to a local school. "I tell youngsters not to smoke, to eat healthily and do a lot of sports," he added.

Serie A Week 31 - 7-4-2012 (6:30 p.m.) - Renzo Barbera Stadium - Palermo Referee: Christian Brighi Quagliarella to net Juve start? Apr 4, 2012 Fabio Quagliarella is being tipped to win a place in the Juventus first team this weekend after his goal against Napoli. The Italian international came off the bench on Sunday to net in the 3-0 victory against his former club. According to various newspapers on Wednesday, the forward could now be offered a chance from the start against Palermo. Quagliarella, who missed the first six months of 2011 with knee ligament damage, has scored three goals in 18 League games this term. However, Quagliarella has only started five League games under Antonio Conte so far. It’s unclear at the moment whether Juve will field a 3-5-2 or a 4-3-3 at the Stadio Barbera on Saturday. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Bonucci wants his goal back Apr 4, 2012 Leonardo Bonucci is somewhat surprised that Juve teammate Mirko Vucinic was retrospectively assigned the opening goal in Sunday’s 3-0 win over Napoli. The striker’s shot was deflected in past Morgan De Sanctis by the Juventus defender, but the Lega Calcio awarded the effort to the Montenegro international on Monday. “I touched the ball without a shadow of a doubt,” the former Inter and Bari player told the giornalaccio rosa dello Sport. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have celebrated like that. “In order for the Lega to give Vucinic the goal, they classed my action as someone who was trying to dodge out of the way – but that is the natural reaction of someone who is hit by something. “The goal is mine!” Despite his argument, Vucinic, according to the Lega at least, remains the official scorer of the first goal.

Serie A Week 31 - 7-4-2012 (6:30 p.m.) - Renzo Barbera Stadium - Palermo Referee: Christian Brighi Second best Juventus Apr 4, 2012 The giornalaccio rosa dello Sport has today highlighted Juventus’ strength during the second half of their Serie A matches. The unbeaten Old Lady turned draws into convincing victories against Inter and Napoli, after going in at the break 0-0, during their last two encounters. The national newspaper has today examined the statistics which illustrate that the Bianconeri seem to get results as games go on. If ties in Serie A finished at the 45-minute mark, Juve would have only collected 49 points this term and would be fourth behind Roma, Milan and Udinese. If just second half results were used to calculate an hypothetical table, Juve would be top of that with 59 points. As is stands in reality, the Turin giants are second in the classifica – two points behind Milan and 11 clear of Lazio in third. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 31 - 7-4-2012 (6:30 p.m.) - Renzo Barbera Stadium - Palermo Referee: Christian Brighi Budan: 'Juve not world class' Apr 3, 2012 Palermo striker Igor Budan has mocked Saturday’s opponents Juventus, complaining they have “no world class players.” The two clubs go head-to-head at the Stadio Barbera at 17.30 UK time this weekend and Juve are just two points adrift of Serie A leaders Milan. “Juve have no world class players,” said the forward during a press conference. “I thought Mirko Vucinic would be able to do more, but he had a few problems. Unfortunately for us, he is now getting back in shape. “I respect Marco Borriello and Alessandro Matri, but they are not Zlatan Ibrahimovic. However, Andrea Pirlo is having a great season and I hope he gets a few passes wrong on Saturday.” Palermo received a big boost at the weekend when they earned their first away victory of the season, conquering Bologna 3-1. “I think Emiliano Viviano’s save on Marco Di Vaio when we were 1-0 down made a huge difference, as it would’ve been tough to come back from 2-0 down. “We have a great squad and were always very united, trying to keep a positive atmosphere.” http://www.soccerway...regular-season/