The warning signs have been flashing for weeks but Inter Milan are now truly feeling the weight of their marathon season as they prepare to host in-form AS Roma on Sunday having gone three matches without a win in all competitions.
With Inter and Napoli locked together on 71 points with five rounds remaining, Simone Inzaghi's side can ill afford another stumble. Yet they face a seventh-placed Roma outfit riding a remarkable 17-match unbeaten league streak.
Wednesday's Coppa Italia semifinal exit at the hands of city rivals AC Milan has only intensified the pressure on Inter, who still harbour Champions League ambitions with a two-legged semifinal against Barcelona looming.
"We've had a more packed schedule than others but, again, it's not an excuse," Inzaghi said after the 3-0 Coppa Italia loss that saw them go out 4-1 on aggregate.
The absence of key figures Denzel Dumfries, Piotr Zielinski and Marcus Thuram due to injuries in the final stretch could prove decisive as the champions' legs grow heavier and their grip on the Scudetto looser with each passing week.
NAPOLI CHALLENGE
While Inter stumble, Napoli find themselves in a vastly more enviable position, with Sunday's home clash against 10th-placed Torino representing perhaps their toughest remaining hurdle on the road to potential glory.
Focused solely on their league campaign without European or domestic cup distractions, the Neapolitans are eyeing a fourth consecutive home victory to clear their toughest obstacle.
After Torino, their run-in reads like a dream sequence for title contenders: Lecce, who are currently 17th, Genoa (13th) and Parma (15th) before concluding at home to Cagliari (16th).
Scotland international Scott McTominay has emerged as Napoli's unlikely talisman, with the former Manchester United midfielder contributing an impressive nine goals and two assists in Serie A this season.
Centre-back Alessandro Buongiorno could return to action after missing Napoli’s last three Serie A games, with the club optimistic he will be available for the run-in.
FOURTH-PLACE DOGFIGHT
Juventus, who are still pursuing a top-four finish after a season of wildly fluctuating fortunes, should encounter few obstacles when they host rock-bottom Monza on Sunday.
With relegation a virtual certainty for the visitors – who sit 11 points from the safety zone with 15 points available – Juve have a prime opportunity to bounce back from Igor Tudor's first defeat as manager, a lacklustre 1-0 loss to Parma.
The race for fourth has developed into a five-team dogfight, with Juventus fifth on 59 points, a point behind fourth-placed Bologna, with Lazio, Roma and Fiorentina within striking distance – the latter three points behind Juve in eighth.
Third-placed Atalanta are well-positioned five points clear of Juve with 64 points although they have yet to guarantee a top-four finish. Their push to consolidate third spot at home to Lecce on Friday has been delayed following a tragic incident.
Lecce asked for the game to be called off following the death of their physiotherapist, with the match set to be rescheduled for either Sunday or Monday.
