Serie A Preview: Crisis clubs meet as Parma head to Milan

Two of Serie A’s out-of-form sides meet at San Siro this weekend as Parma and Milan look to kickstart their failing seasons.

Parma head to Milan in Serie A this weekend hoping to put a difficult week off the field behind them as Filippo Inzaghi fights for his San Siro future.

Beset by financial worries, Parma have been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons after Antonio Cassano left the club, amid a threat of legal action over unpaid wages.

Spirits at the Ennio Tardini will not have been lifted by a last-gasp Coppa Italia elimination at the hands of Juventus in midweek.

A sixth-place finish last term did not bring European action due to tax issues, and Parma have since slumped to the foot of Serie A, 10 points from safety.

While Parma have struggled all season, Milan have displayed the worst form in Serie A since the season’s resumption in the new year.

Winless since the brief winter break, Inzaghi is clinging to his job with Milan well adrift of the European places for a second straight campaign.

The former striker reportedly retains faith from Milan supremo Silvio Berlusconi and captain Riccardo Montolivo has issued a rallying call to the struggling squad.

“We have to take things one game at a time,” he told Milan Channel.

“We can get back into the race for Europe, it’s down to us. We have to solve our problems, and we have everything we need to succeed.

“We must all stand united, none of us is happy, we’re all angry.”

Inter are faring little better and sit just one place above their neighbours on goal difference.

A trip to Sassuolo may bring confidence though, given Inter have smashed Eusebio Di Francesco’s men for seven in two of their three meetings.

Roma will hope to put some pressure on Juventus when they play Empoli a day before the champions’ trip to Udinese – though a seven-point cushion and five-match winning run against the side from Friuli will have Massimiliano Allegri in bullish mood.

Fiorentina may head to Genoa on Saturday without key man Juan Cuadrado as a reported move to Chelsea nears, while top-five rivals Sampdoria and Lazio respectively travel to Torino and Cesena.

Napoli will hope to cement third in their trip to struggling Chievo, who will hope to see fellow scrappers Cagliari beaten at Atalanta, while Palermo host Verona.