Serie A 2012, Week 5 Preview And Fixtures: Serving Up Some Tasty Calcio Action

A day of rest for football fans? Not in Italy. It seems as though the final whistle in the Lazio - Genoa match just blew, and here we are, talking about another round of Serie A fixtures.

This past weekend, we saw Juventus remain perfect, both Milan sides tumble, Napoli and Lazio drop points and Palermo fail to make progress under Gasperini. What can we expect from Week 5?

Tuesday, September 25

20:45 CET / 14:45 ET

Fiorentina v Juventus

If you're not watching this match, something is wrong with you (or you're stuck in a law school class, sob). Fiorentina under Vincenzo Montella have been a joy to watch -- attacking, fluid and possessing Stefan Jovetić. Can the Viola be the ones to take down the perfect Juventus?

Wednesday, September 26

12:30 CET / 6:30 ET

Pescara v Palermo

Pescara earned their first point this weekend! That puts them level with Palermo, each on one point with -7 goal difference. This match could be a lovely bout of chaos.

20:45 CET / 14:45 ET

AC Milan v Cagliari

The countdown to Milan's parting with Massimiliano Allegri continues. The coach will spend this match in the stands after receiving a one-game touchline ban for insulting the referee during the loss to Udinese. But Allegri could see his side finally record points at the San Siro, as Cagliari aren't, shall we say, good.

AS Roma v Sampdoria

Roma picked up the easiest three points they'll see all season with an automatic 3-0 win after Sunday's match at Cagliari was suspended. It won't be so easy against Sampdoria, who finally dropped points against Torino, but remain unbeaten. The challenge for Zdenek Zeman is to keep his side from falling to pieces.

Catania v Atalanta

The two sides have the same number of points, although Atalanta have recorded two wins -- they had to overcome a two-point deduction to start the season. Catania are tough to break down at home, as evidenced by their ten-man draw against Napoli on Sunday. It wouldn't be surprising to see another stalemate in Sicily.

Chievo Verona v Inter Milan

The amusement of watching the nerazzurri come apart at the seams is canceled out by the drabness of Chievo. Choose another match and follow interisti on twitter if you need entertainment.

Genoa v Parma

Genoa proved their worth on Sunday by being the first side to defeat what had seemed an invincible Lazio squad. But considering the one goal came from Marco Borriello, don't be looking for a repeat.

Napoli v Lazio

Prior to the weekend, both sides were perfect. Then Napoli drew and Lazio lost. Could this match, so early in the season, show us what the table will look like come May? It could be another 4-3 thriller, but with expectations so high, it's more likely to end 0-0.

Torino v Udinese

Udinese finally won! Granted, it was against a terrible Milan side that was down to nine men by the end, but hey, three points. But considering Torino have only conquered Pescara, a result which a bunch of eight-year-old schoolkids could replicate, the zebrette have the opportunity to continue their upward trajectory.

Thursday, September 27

20:45 CET / 14:45 ET

Siena v Bologna

After their win against Inter on Sunday, Siena are very nearly out of the negative. It's worth noting that they've lost just once, though, and are certainly capable of scoring goals. Bologna, on the other hand, followed up their come-from-behind thriller against Roma with a sad little draw against Pescara. This is as good a chance as any for the robur to get themselves on the board.