The Serie A title race could turn dull if Roma don't start winning again after falling seven points behind leaders Juventus. But the chase for two remaining Champions League berths remains fierce.
Roma aim to resume their winning ways when they welcome struggling Empoli on Saturday, after three draws that saw them slip seven points behind Serie A leaders Juventus.
Second-placed Roma also saw Napoli move within six points, which keeps the Naples side's hopes alive to finish second for direct access to the Champions League.
Gonzalo Higuain scored a brace as Napoli last weekend won 2-1 at Genoa. His tally of 12 goals is one shy of Juve's fellow Argentine Carlos Tevez.
"We will fight for second place," Higuain said ahead of their next game at troubled Chievo on Sunday. "As long as we have a chance to reach this goal, we will try."
Roma have Daniele De Rossi out for about three weeks with a muscular injury, Kevin Strootman is also to miss the Empoli game while Gervinho and Seydou Keita are engaged with the Ivory Coast and Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Eyeing third place, which qualifies for the Champions League play-offs, are Lazio and Sampdoria, lying two points behind Napoli ahead of away Sunday games to Cesena and Torino, respectively.
The leaders Juve are away to Udinese on Sunday, after not impressing Wednesday in a meagre 1-0 over bottom side Parma in the cup quarterfinals.
"You cannot always win 2-0 or 3-0," said Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri, referring to his team's 15-2 goal record in the past four successful outings.
"There are times when you win like this, with a goal in the last minute."
Match winner Alvaro Morata said that the Bianconeri want to win everything.
"We are Juve. We cannot botch any game," the Spaniard said.
Botching games seems to have become a habit for troubled giants AC Milan, who are out of the Italian Cup after Tuesday's 1-0 defeat against 10-man Lazio, and also lost 3-1 against them in the league last weekend.
The Rossoneri got a single point from the past four league games and languish in 11th place, 10 points shy of Napoli and a massive 23 behind Juve ahead of a Sunday date with Parma.
Fans have criticised director general Adriano Galliani more than coach Filippo Inzaghi, who looks set to tweak the team's tactics and seems close to sign striker Mattia Destro from Roma.
The mood is not brighter at city rivals Inter Milan who are tied on (26) points with Milan and visit Sassuolo on Sunday. Inter coach Roberto Mancini also expects reinforcements in the closing days of the transfer market.
The other Sunday games are Atalanta v Cagliari and Palermo v Verona. Genoa and Fiorentina meet on Saturday.
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