Roma hope to rebound in Serie A weekend

 Roma coach Luciano Spalletti had to concede that his lacklustre side deserved the 3-0 beating at lowly Siena last weekend which saw the second-placed side drop eight points behind unbeaten leaders Inter Milan.

 The match with Reggina gives Roma a chance to resume their winning ways, although the Reggio Calabria side are desperate to leave the three-team drop zone.

 Saturday match serves as somewhat of a warm-up for the next, far tougher hurdles which await Roma until early March: league games against Juventus, Fiorentina and Inter, plus a two-legged European Champions League round of 16 affair with Real Madrid.

 Inter lately went unscathed through difficult games with lowly Parma and Empoli, partly thanks to a couple of liberally awarded spot kicks, and remained unbeaten on a 53-point tally.

 The Milanese title holders on Sunday travel south to tackle Catania, who won five and lost two of the 10 games played in Sicily.

 Third-place Juventus, on 41 points, disappointed their home crowd in last weekend's 1-1 with tail-enders Cagliari, and may have problems bouncing back at tough sixth-place Udinese.

 Juve's are concerned about a muscular injury of their league top scorer David Trezeguet. But the 15-goal hero appears to be ready after all to play in Udine, where goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and winger Mauro Camoranesi are due back from injuries.

 A good show is expected Saturday in Bergamo, where Atalanta welcome Fiorentina, who on 37 points hold the last of four available Champions League berths.

 Also eyeing the continental tournament are fifth-place AC Milan, who host Siena on Sunday. Milan are confronted with serious problems up front due to injuries of Alexandre Pato, Kaka and Clarence Seedorf, and a suspension for Alberto Gilardino.

 Livorno lost their last two games, drawing close to the relegation zone ahead of their game with Genoa. The other Geno team, Sampdoria, entertain Napoli in a mid-table tie, while Torino meet Palermo.

 Cagliari welcome fellow-strugglers Parma and lowly Empoli host Lazio.

DPA