Serie A Power Rankings: Round 14

*NOTE* I just want to apologize once again that this article was not presented sooner. It was finals week here at school so my focus has been on my studying.

Round 14 of Serie A has concluded, all make-up matches from earlier postponed matches have been completed and everyone is back on even keel in the league.

There were a few exciting matches during the 14th round, which produced a couple of big, surprising victories and as always, some of the best football in the world.

There was a lot of shuffling around this week, particularly in the top 10/mid-table area, as Inter's wins shook the balance.

Heading into this weekend's actions, here's how the clubs stack up in Serie A.

20. Lecce (20)

Round 14: Lost 3-2 vs. Lazio (H)

Lecce jumped out to a quick lead at the Via Del Mare on Saturday and even brought the game back level against Lazio, but the visitors were too much and found a winner three minutes from time.

Davide Di Michele netted a penalty kick 14 minutes in, and Stefano Ferrario scored his first of the season, but an 87th minute strike for Lazio proved to be fatal.

Hanging in with Lazio is quite impressive, but they still came out of the match with nothing to show for it.

Lecce have a tough match at the Ennio Tardini coming up, which should provide an excellent test and just maybe they can sneak away with three points.

Round 15: 12/18 vs. Parma (A)

19. Chievo Verona (18)

Round 14: Lost 2-1 vs. Udinese (A)

Alberto Paloschi was able to fire on back for Chievo in the 83rd minute, but ultimately Udinese were too good for the Flying Donkeys, who lost for the sixth time this season.

It may seem surprising to some that for Paloschi, who was highly regarded when he came up through the ranks at AC Milan (from where he is currently on loan), it is only his second goal of the campaign.

Not scoring goals has been a problem for Chievo. Their 11 goals are the second-lowest in the top flight. Only Cesena have fewer with seven. They are also one of only five teams to average less than a goal per match.

It may seem strange to point this out against Udinese, one of the three teams I pegged as title favorites a couple weeks back, but Chievo are forced to accept the fact they are fighting against relegation.

They need to start scoring, or else they could be in serious trouble.

They're back at the Bentegodi on Saturday, where they have a plus-2 goal difference. Maybe that will play to their advantage against a Cagliari team that has really cooled off.

Round 15: 12/17 vs. Cagliari (H)

18. Novara (19)

Round 14: Drew 1-1 vs. Napoli (H)

Napoli had the better of the play for the most part, but the promoted Novara side were able to collect a point at home against Walter Mazzarri's men.

In fact, Novara took the lead with 20 minutes to play when Ivan Radovanovic hit what will surely go down as one of the goals of the season. He first-timed a layoff from a free kick that very few goalkeepers could ever dream of stopping.

They had the lead with six minutes to play, and all looked well until a poorly controlled ball by Marek Hamsik turned out to actually be fortune for Napoli. Blerim Dzemaili roped in the equalizer from about 12 yards out.

Novara did well to fight with one of the best, but ultimately this is a match we're talking about as a draw instead of a famous victory for the Serie A newcomers.

Who knows? Maybe they'll become the famous club to pull off the first away victory ever at the Juventus Arena.

Round 15: 12/18 vs. Juventus (A)

17. Siena (16)

Round 14: Lost 2-0 vs. Genoa (H)

It was not a great day at the Montepaschi for Siena.

There is a lesson to be learned from their loss to Genoa on their home pitch, which is, if you want to win, you have to have at least one shot on goal.

It is certainly a difficult concept to understand. Scholars worked tirelessly to determine that to actually score and win, you need at least one shot on goal.

Siena obviously forgot that rule on Saturday.

On 14 shots, zero found the frame, meaning Sebastien Frey had one of the easiest clean sheets of his life.

For the most part, the game was pretty even with back-and-forth possession, but the difference was that Genoa were able to capitalize on five shots on goal by netting twice in the second half.

It has been poor form for Siena in the last month-and-a-half. They have failed to win since Oct. 30 and now face a very tough test on Saturday.

Round 15: 12/17 vs. AC Milan (A)

16. Cesena (17)

Round 14: Won 1-0 vs. Palermo (A)

Adrian Mutu was a hero for Cesena on Saturday when his 63rd minute strike pushed struggling Cesena past a very difficult Palermo side on the road at the Renzo Barbera.

Despite only 38 percent of the possession, the struggling club peppered the goal area, ripping 20 shots, with six of them challenging Francesco Benussi.

But his five saves weren't enough, as his outfielders failed to pressure the goal as much as they would have liked to.

It wasn't a weak Palermo side that Cesena played, either. Despite having to be ready for a Coppa Italia match with Siena a few days later, Palermo called upon all the big guns and were still unable to avoid defeat.

This was a big victory for Cesena, only their third of the season, but they have three wins from their last four and their only other result in that span was a loss to Juventus.

Things are looking better for Cesena.

Round 15: 12/18 vs. Inter Milan (H)

15. Bologna (15)

Round 14: Drew 2-2 vs. AC Milan (H)

The great back-and-forth match that was Bologna against AC Milan was overshadowed by what was labeled, "The Rocchi Horror Show."

Referee Gianluca Rocchi, who was once investigated for his role in Calciopoli, ignored two handballs, allowed a horrible penalty to AC Milan, which led to a Zlatan Ibrahimovic goal and committed a multitude of terrible calls.

They are worthy of him being punished by not being allowed to referee in the last two rounds of Serie A before Christmas break.

It's difficult to assess how the game would have gone if it had been called properly, but credit has to be given to Marco Di Vaio, who opened the scoring with an absolutely brilliant lob of Marco Amelia, who completely misplayed the ball.

Di Vaio took him one-on-one and when the backup keeper came out 20 yards off his line, the captain punished him by making it look like a chip straight out of FIFA 12.

Alessandro Diamanti was quick to make sure the hosts didn't stay behind for long after the atrocious penalty given to Milan in the 71st minute. He struck two minutes later to ensure a point for Bologna.

Bologna still have work to do. They sit just outside the drop zone with a couple tricky games coming up.

Round 15: 12/18 vs. Genoa (A)

14. Genoa (14)

Round 14: Won 2-0 vs. Siena (A)

Make-up match: Lost 1-0 vs. Inter Milan (H)

It was a mixed week of results for Genoa, who had to make up an earlier match to catch up to the rest of the pack.

The 2-0 win over Siena was an expected three points, but they fell to the now-back on track Inter Milan.

With very little to change the rankings around them this week, Genoa's mixed results keep them at 14.

Marco Rossi and Rodrigo Palacio netted in the victory at the Montepaschi in a dominant second half performance.

Next up, Bologna, which may not be so straightforward. Genoa will have to be on point.

Round 15: 12/18 vs. Bologna (H)

13. Cagliari (13)

Round 14: Drew 0-0 vs. Parma (H)

If Cagliari were playing the way they were at the beginning of the season, they would have won this match, especially with it being at the Sant'Elia.

Cagliari just got nothing going.

Michael Agazzi saved the point by making five saves against a Parma side that always comes out feisty.

As the leaders begin to distance themselves, Cagliari no longer look like the threat they were at the start of the season. They sit three points behind Napoli for a Europa League spot, but Genoa, Inter, and Palermo sit between them and the goal difference favors Napoli by quite a bit.

Competing for Europe is not impossible, but the way Cagliari have been playing lately, I wouldn't bet much on them qualifying or even being close by season's end.

Round 15: 12/17 vs. Chievo Verona (A)

12. Catania (11)

Round 14: Drew 1-1 vs. Atalanta (A)

Catania struck early, but in the end, dealing with 10 men, Atalanta possessed too much and were able to get a mid-second half strike to secure a draw.

Nicola Legrottaglie scored his second goal of the season in the 18th minute, and things were looking on the up and up, but Nicolas Spolli was sent off for his second yellow card in the 43rd minute.

After that, it was all Atalanta.

The visitors were only allowed to possess the ball for 30 percent of the match. Catania were able to hold them off for a little while, but in the 71st minute, Atalanta got their moment.

This was an unfortunate result for Catania, who will be looking to turn it around with a tough matchup on Sunday.

Round 15: 12/18 vs. Palermo (H)

11. Parma (10)

Round 14: Drew 0-0 vs. Cagliari (A)

Parma had to settle without Sebastian Giovinco for most of the match after he left with a muscular injury 20 minutes in, as they drew 0-0 with a struggling Cagliari side.

The visitors were unable to capitalize on five shots on goal.

But they held Cagliari defensively, as Antonio Mirante barely had any work to do, needing to only make one save.

Of course, both sides will have wanted better. Both have struggled for consistency and while each side at least got a point, they will have expected better of themselves.

Parma return to the Ennio Tardini expecting a win on Sunday.

Round 15: 12/18 vs. Lecce (H)

10. Fiorentina (7)

Round 14: Lost 2-0 vs. Inter Milan (A)

La Viola picked a bad time to play Inter, as they ran into a high-flying team that had everything going for them at the San Siro.

Fiorentina had been looking good and were coming off a domination of eight-man Roma, but they failed to keep the momentum up in the 14th round of the season.

Whereas they would be in seventh had they won, Fiorentina are now the proprietors of 14th place in Serie A.

Saturday could be a tough test at the Artemio Franchi. How will Fiorentina respond to this loss?

Round 15: 12/17 vs. Atalanta (H)

9. Atalanta (8)

Round 14: Drew 1-1 vs. Catania (H)

Yet another draw for Atalanta.

No team has played to as many draws as Atalanta have this season. Their seventh came against Catania this past round.

After going down 1-0 after 18 minutes, La Dea were fortunate to be given a man advantage when Catania were reduced to 10 men.

It took nearly a half hour, but they eventually brought the game level.

If Atalanta want to continue to seem serious, they need to stop letting their opponents hang around and grab these points.

Saturday should provide a big test for them to show what they can do.

Round 15: 12/17 vs. Fiorentina (A)

8. Inter Milan (12)

Round 14: Won 2-0 vs. Fiorentina (H)

Makeup match: Won 1-0 vs. Genoa (A)

Normally this season, the trend has been to criticize Inter at every turn for their lack of quality, but that all got pushed aside this past week as they were, for lack of a better phrase, fantastic.

First off was the scheduled Round 14 fixture with Fiorentina at the San Siro, and the 18-time champions showed their world renowned quality.

Giampaolo Pazzini scored four minutes before halftime, and Yuto Nagatomo scored four minutes after halftime to give Inter all the offense they would need. Possession was nearly even, but they fired 22 shots, working the keeper six times and, of course, finishing twice.

Inter then had to make up an earlier round by playing Genoa on Tuesday, and Claudio Ranieri's men took care of their hosts with Nagatomo scoring yet again.

It was another brilliant effort in the back and a cannonade of shots being fired towards goal. Inter were really impressive this week and move up a lot as such.

Ranieri has the boys back in seventh as they continue to climb away from the bottom half of the table. They should keep this form up, but they still have a lot to do to prove the past is behind them.

Round 15: 12/18 vs. Cesena (A)

7. Palermo (6)

Round 14: Lost 1-0 vs. Cesena (H)

Palermo missed a chance to overtake Napoli and snatch a UEFA Europa League position this weekend when they lost to lowly Cesena.

The men in pink controlled most of the game, but Adrian Mutu's strike proved to be just enough for the struggling visitors.

All it means for Palermo, though, is they need to capitalize on upcoming opportunities. They sit only one point behind Napoli.

They definitely need to keep pace this weekend when they hit the road for Sicily.

Round 15: 12/18 vs. Catania (A)

6. Roma (9)

Round 14: Drew 1-1 vs. Juventus (H)

Juan, Gago and Bojan were all suspended, yet Roma were still able to salvage a draw against the top team in the league.

Roma nearly won, too, but Francesco Totti missed a penalty in the 63rd minute that would have given the hosts the three points.

Juventus applied a lot of pressure, firing 22 shots with nine of them finding the frame, but Maarten Stekelenburg is one of the best keepers in the world.

The Dutchman, who helped lead the Netherlands to the Final of the 2010 World Cup, stopped eight of the Bianconeri's shots.

Without their suspended players and following that demoralizing defeat to Fiorentina, Roma did well to capture a draw against such a good team.

A stretch of tough matches continues Sunday as they travel to the San Paolo.

Round 15: 12/18 vs. Napoli (A)

5. Napoli (4)

Round 14: Drew 1-1 vs. Novara (A)

They were expecting three, but Napoli had to walk away from their match with Novara with only a share of the spoils.

Bierim Dzemalli was the hero, scoring the equalizer in the 84th minute.

As good as Napoli have been in Europe, they are falling behind in the race for the title, one which they were supposed to greatly influence. They need to turn it around quickly.

Round 15: 12/18 vs. Roma (H)

4. Lazio (5)

Round 14: Won 3-2 vs. Lecce (A)

Miroslav Klose netted twice. Lazio beat Lecce. What else there is to talk about with that game?

Lazio continue to look solid and will certainly remain in the European hunt all season. This is a team that is nowhere near out of the title hunt, and only goal difference keeps them behind Milan for the third and final Champions League spot.

That spot only sits two points behind Udinese and Juventus.

Round 15: 12/18 vs. Udinese (H)

3. AC Milan (2)

Round 14: Drew 2-2 vs. Bologna (A)

In a game being remembered mostly for Rocchi's horribly inconsistent refereeing, Milan were unable to keep up their good run of form as they fell on the road to Bologna.

Clarence Seedorf scored another fantastic goal, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored on a penalty kick that should never have been awarded.

In the grand scheme of things, you can call this one thing—a bump in the road.

AC Milan sit only two points out, and there's no denying they will heavily influence the Scudetto chase.

Round 15: 12/17 vs. Siena (H)

2. Udinese (3)

Round 14: Won 2-1 vs. Chievo (H)

This is one of those games a top team is supposed to win—simple as that.

There isn't much need to get into detail on Udinese's continued success, which sees them even on points with Juventus at the top.

What is most important with Udinese is not even that they made the last 32 of the Europa League. The best news is that young star, Medhi Benatia, was unhurt in a car accident this week.

The youngster is a fantastic player and one of the fastest rising stars in Serie A. He was good to go against Celtic in the Europa League.

Round 15: 12/18 vs. Lazio (A)

1. Juventus (1)

Round 14: Drew 1-1 vs. Roma

Juventus grabbed a point against Roma at the Olimpico.

Even without Juan, Gago and Bojan, Roma are a deep, challenging team so it isn't a terrible result for the table-toppers, especially on the road.

Juventus peppered the goal while containing Roma, but Stekelenburg was virtually unbeatable. Giorgio Chiellini's goal is what ensured at least a share of the spoils for Antonio Conte's men.

Juventus are certainly looking hungry to redeem themselves post-Calciopoli and in the wake of years of misery for the club.

Round 15: 12/18 vs. Novara (A)