Leaders Inter visit Atalanta as thrilling Serie A title race hots up

Serie A leaders Inter Milan face third-placed Atalanta in a mouth-watering clash on Sunday with only three points separating them with 10 rounds of matches remaining in the title race.

Inter have 61 points and lead by a point from 2023 champions Napoli, who visit second-bottom outfit Venezia, with Simone Inzaghi's side needing a win to guarantee keeping top spot.

Inter have been flying in the Champions League, reaching the quarterfinals where they play Bayern Munich, but they have won only three of their last seven Serie A games, losing two.

They had suffered only one league defeat prior to that this season, which was at home to AC Milan in late September.

However, a 2-1 win over visiting Feyenoord in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday, which secured a 4-1 aggregate victory, should inspire confidence.

Inter were given a real scare by bottom club Monza before coming back to win 3-2 at the San Siro last weekend and have not won consecutive league games in nearly two months.

"It's true that the numbers in the Champions League are different to the league," said Inzaghi after completing his 200th game as Inter coach on Tuesday.

"But we're in the mix in all competitions, happily so."

Inter face Milan in the two-legged Coppa Italia semifinals.

Atalanta exited the Champions League and Italian Cup last month and can focus on the prospect of a first Serie A title.

Inter and Atalanta are the league's top scorers with 63 goals each, while Atalanta have conceded 26 to Inter's 27.

But Gian Piero Gasperini's Bergamo-based side have also struggled to regain momentum in the title race of late.

Atalanta have won only four of their last 11 Serie A outings, after an impressive streak of 11 wins between October and December, the longest in the club's history.

NAPOLI LURKING

Napoli's trip to Venezia earlier on Sunday follows a 2-1 home win over Fiorentina that ended a five-game winless run.

They can move top with a victory and would stay there if Inter fail to bring three points back from Bergamo.

Draw specialists Juventus, who like Atalanta only have Serie A to concentrate on, have gradually worked their way up the standings into fourth spot on 52 points.

They were stunned 4-0 at home by Atalanta last weekend but can take encouragement from a five-game winning run before that defeat when they travel to eighth-placed Fiorentina on Sunday.

Juve need a win to stay ahead in the race for a top-four finish, with Lazio chasing them in fifth one point back.

Ninth-placed Milan, 17 points adrift of Inter and eight points off the top four, host Cesc Fabregas's Como on Saturday.