Serie A Power Rankings: Round 25

No make-up matches took place between Wednesday and the weekend, so Serie A went ahead with Round 25 as planned, and there were some very interesting games to say the least.

The relegation battle looks like it will go right down to the wire, and, on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, the title race is in full force and could have been a completely different story if not for some dreadful officiating.

All in all, Serie A is looking like it's going to provide some exciting football in the final 13 rounds of the season. With 25 rounds down, where does each team stand in the current power rankings?

20. Cesena (20)

Round 25: Lost 1-0 vs. Chievo Verona (A)

It was another rough day in the life of a Cesena supporter.

Maurizio Lauro was sent off with 34 minutes to play, and Chievo were able to capitalize as they escaped the fixture with all three points.

Cesena are now 10 points away from safety and have a game in hand but are falling off fast. Results are nonexistent, and at this point, I'm ready to say it with authority.

Cesena are going to be relegated. This does not look like a team with any chance at safety.

Round 26: 3/4 vs. Fiorentina (A)

19. Novara (19)

Round 25: Lost 3-1 vs. Catania (A)

Things continue to look worse for Novara.

The loss at Catania sees them remain only a point above Cesena and nine points away from 17th place Siena.

Novara look like the towel will be thrown in at any second. Serie B seems to be a gloomy reality at this point.

Round 26: 3/4 vs. Bologna (A)

18. Lecce (18)

Round 25: Won 2-1 vs. Cagliari (A)

If I'm a Siena player, official or supporter, I'm scared of Lecce right now.

This team has been playing great football in recent weeks.

Lecce have grabbed 11 of their last possible 18 points over six matches and have won two in a row. With their recent success, the team that was early on pegged as the cellar dweller in the league is now two points from safety.

Luis Muriel continued a solid season at the weekend. The 20-year-old recorded his fourth goal to help propel Lecce. Andrea Bertolacci added the second.

Lecce are in with a golden chance. Can they do it? Can they survive Serie A on a team of inexperienced and loaned players?

Round 26: 3/4 vs. Genoa (H)

17. Siena (17)

Round 25: Won 4-1 vs. Palermo (H)

Siena needed the upset of Palermo to stay out of the drop zone, and they succeeded.

Claudio Terzi, Erjon Bogdani, Luca Rossettini and Franco Brienza each scored in the upset thrashing that keeps them two points above Lecce.

There can be no mistakes right now. Lecce are two back and playing great football. If they keep up this form and Siena falter, it will be Siena looking up for the first time since the relegation battle really got interesting.

Round 26: 3/4 vs. Cagliari (H)

16. Fiorentina (15)

Round 25: Lost 1-0 vs. Lazio (A)

It must be a miserable existence being a Fiorentina player right now. Riccardo Montolivo is regretting the fact that he didn't transfer out last summer, and there can be no doubts that he will leave this time around.

Fiorentina were supposed to be better off this season. They had a decent summer transfer market, and they returned Stevan Jovetic after a year-long injury. What has happened instead has been torture.

Fiorentina are uncharacteristically 15th in the table and are four points clear of the relegation zone, though they have a match in hand. Imagine Fiorentina losing said match and being back in the relegation talk for the first time in several years.

It seems crazy.

The last time folks were talking about the idea of Fiorentina being relegated (based on play, not including the Calciopoli scandal) was the 2004-05 season, when it took until the last day to secure survival in their first year in Serie A after administration in 2002.

While it may seem far-fetched to say that Fiorentina will drop, you never know. In football, anything can happen, especially in Serie A.

Round 26: 3/4 vs. Cesena (H)

15. Parma (16)

Round 25: Drew 2-2 vs. Genoa (A)

Parma should have held on for the win but an away draw to Genoa is not a terrible result for the struggling Crusaders.

Massimo Gobbi and Sergio Floccari put the visitors ahead 2-0, and Parma were up and comfortable until about 12 minutes left to go in the match.

Antonio Mirante stopped a penalty, but the bounce was all too friendly and Genoa were able to put in a rebound to make the match 2-1. Parma then kissed two extra points goodbye when Genoa equalized in stoppage time.

Parma have a match in hand, so they can close in on the mid-table range, but they need to step their game up.

Round 26: 3/4 vs. Napoli (H)

14. Bologna (13)

Round 25: Lost 3-1 vs. Udinese (H)

Stefano Pioli's men put together a nice little stint for a few games, getting a couple big results, but when you're playing Udinese, you're not easily going to get anything.

The 24-year-old Greek winger Panagiotis Kone scored his first goal for Bologna in his 18th match on loan from Brescia, but Bologna never stood a chance as it was already 2-0 by that point and Udinese scored three minutes later.

There's still a chance of relegation for Bologna, but the chances are pretty low. At this point, Novara and Cesena seem like certainties and Lecce or Siena will be the unlucky third.

Round 26: 3/4 vs. Novara (H)

13. Genoa (12)

Round 25: Drew 2-2 vs. Parma (H)

Genoa were behind the eight ball early at the Luigi Ferraris but were able to salvage a draw.

Rodrigo Palacio scored twice in the final minutes, including a stoppage time equalizer, and Genoa overcame a two-goal deficit to get the point.

Genoa need to stop making results so difficult. There is a reason why this club has more losses than any team not in the relegation zone. Their defense has been horrendous, allowing a league-high 46 goals. The lack of defense has killed Genoa, especially recently.

Lecce have been very feisty lately, but Genoa need the three points to improve morale.

Round 26: 3/4 vs. Lecce (A)

12. Inter Milan (9)

Round 25: Lost 1-0 vs. Napoli (A)

Oh boy.

With the loss to Napoli, Inter have lost seven of their last eight matches in all competition, including five in a row. In that span, Inter have scored only four goals, all in a 4-4 Serie A draw with Palermo.

It has been an absolutely miserable existence for Inter over the last month or so, and Claudio Ranieri is feeling the tight grip of Massimo Moratti's hands around his neck as he gets closer and closer to losing his job.

If the month of March does not show an incredible improvement, Ranieri could be gone. Many Inter fans are calling for the return of Jose Mourinho. Can the return of the Special One actually be a possibility?

Round 26: 3/4 vs. Catania (H)

11. Chievo Verona (14)

Round 25: Won 1-0 vs. Cesena (H)

After Cesena went a man down, Davide Moscardelli netted the lone goal that gave Chievo a spot in the top half of the table.

At 33 points, Chievo now sit 10th in the standings, only seven points shy of fifth-place Napoli. While qualification for Europe is unlikely, a top-10 finish would be a great triumph for the Flying Donkeys.

Domenico Di Carlo has done a great job this season in his return to the Bentegodi. Can he keep it up?

Round 26: 3/3 vs. Juventus (A)

10. Cagliari (9)

Round 25: Lost 2-1 vs. Lecce (H)

A home loss to Lecce? That's not the result Cagliari wanted or needed at the weekend.

If Cagliari win that match, they are level on points with Palermo, who currently sit eighth and, at worst, are one goal behind in goal difference. However, they now sit 12th, and it will be difficult to top the teams in front of them in a very competitive league.

Cagliari started real well in Serie A and are now struggling to contend. A top half finish would mark a good season, but they need to step their game up.

Round 26: 3/4 vs. Siena (A)

9. Catania (11)

Round 25: Won 3-1 vs. Novara (H)

Catania have a game in hand and have a chance to jump in and mount the pressure on the European spot contenders.

Gonzalo Bergessio, Giovanni Marchese and Alejandro Gomez scored during the span of about half an hour to give the Elephants a 3-1 win over Novara.

Three wins in their last four has Catania on a roll and looking like they could make life a scare for the likes of Napoli, Roma and Inter as they fight for fifth place.

Catania will have a chance to shock one of these teams at the weekend as they hope to close the gap in the table.

Round 26: 3/4 vs. Inter Milan (H)

8. Palermo (5)

Round 25: Lost 4-1 vs. Siena (A)

Palermo may be the most inconsistent team in Serie A. The latest episode of their strange season resulted in a 4-1 loss to struggling Siena, who were desperate for a win in lieu of their relegation battle.

Do Palermo feel like they have nothing to play for? Had they won, they would have gone within one point of sixth-place Roma and three behind fifth-place Napoli in the race for the Europa League. They wasted a golden opportunity.

Palermo have a tough home test this weekend but need to get to work trimming away at the gap between them and Europe with only a few games left to play.

Round 26: 3/3 vs. AC Milan (H)

7. Atalanta (8)

Round 25: Won 4-1 vs. Roma (H)

The world knows my opinion of Atalanta already. This is a strong team that would look a lot better if not for the Cristiano Doni scandal that forced them to start the season with minus-6 points.

The win against Roma was a dominating one. German Denis netted a hat trick to bring him to 15 goals this season, putting him level on goal total with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani, who sit three goals behind Antonio Di Natale. Guido Marilungo added his fourth goal of the season in the blowout.

Atalanta sit 11th in the table but are a much stronger looking club then that. They get a chance to flex their muscles against another giant this weekend.

Round 26: 3/4 vs. Udinese (A)

6. Roma (3)

Round 25: Lost 4-1 vs. Atalanta (A)

Not a great day in Bergamo for Roma. Fabio Borini was able to add to his goal total, but Roma were out of this one virtually from the start.

Roma lost their fifth-place spot to Napoli, who won at the weekend and now sit two points clear of Roma.

The Giallorossi still have a good chance of qualifying for the Europa League, but they need to capitalize on their chances to collect points.

There would be no better way to start along that road then with a win in the Derby Della Capitale.

Round 26: 3/4 vs. Lazio (H)

5. Lazio (6)

Round 25: Won 1-0 vs. Fiorentina (H)

Lazio escaped with a narrow win over Fiorentina, but it was a win all the same.

Miroslav Klose scored 35 minutes in, and while Fiorentina kept it tight, Lazio did all they needed.

With the victory, Lazio keep pace with Udinese on 45 points. Only goal difference separates the two as Antonio Di Natale's brilliant season has Udinese racking up the goals.

There's a lot of football to play and Lazio and Udinese will dog it out for the final Champions League spot until the end. Who will win out?

Round 26: 3/4 vs. Roma (A)

4. Udinese (7)

Round 25: Won 3-1 vs. Bologna (A)

Udinese were facing a reeling Bologna club, but victory came easy.

An Antonio Di Natale penalty put the visitors up 1-0 at the break. Dusan Basta and Antonio Floro Flores scored in the second half as Udinese rolled to victory.

With a plus-14 goal difference, the Zebrete hold down third place over Lazio.

Both sides face tough tests this week, and with the two sides level, every point matters.

Round 26: 3/4 vs. Atalanta (H)

3. Napoli (4)

Round 25: Won 1-0 vs. Inter Milan (H)

Ezequiel Lavezzi scored with 31 minutes to play as Napoli put Inter to the sword and kept them in as front-runners for European football for next season.

Napoli are now fifth after Roma's slip-up at the weekend. They appear to be a front-runner for European qualification. That fifth spot will be the most sought after. It appears that the top four has already been settled, leaving the fifth and final European spot up for grabs, with Napoli, Roma and Inter looking to be the teams most in contention.

Can Napoli keep everyone behind them? They have a lot of work to do over the last three months.

Round 26: 3/4 vs. Parma (A)

2. AC Milan (2)

Round 25: Drew 2-2 vs. Juventus (H)

Milan were robbed of a victory at the San Siro when they took on Juventus.

The Rossoneri were 1-0 up through Antonio Nocerino when Sulley Muntari clearly put the ball over the line, although the referee waved play on. Juventus went on to draw the game, and now Milan remain only one point above Juventus at the top, and Juve have a match in hand.

Milan have the disadvantage of trying to balance Serie A with the Champions League and, for now, Coppa Italia (unless they can overcome Juventus' first-leg advantage). With the Quarterfinals a near guarantee in Europe, Milan will need to make sure they are able to balance themselves if they want to pursue at least a double.

Round 26: 3/3 vs. Palermo (A)

1. Juventus (1)

Round 25: Drew 1-1 vs. AC Milan (A)

Andrea Pirlo's return to the San Siro should have been Juventus' first defeat of the season, but the decision by the referee to not allow Milan's clear goal is one that Milan had to live with.

Such is they way of football.

What it means is that Juventus need only a draw in their make-up match to go level with Milan, and a win would put them in first.

Alessandro Matri came on and put Juventus level with seven minutes of full time left. Arturo Vidal was sent off in the 89th, but there was no chance Milan would grab the winner.

It will be neck and neck between Milan and Juventus all the way to the end for the title. No two teams are more historic in Italian football, and it only makes sense that they be the two to fight it out.

Round 26: 3/3 vs. Chievo Verona (H)