Napoli on brink of Serie A title before Udinese trip

Napoli are on the brink of claiming their first Serie A title in 33 years despite failing to win at home last weekend, and they may not even have to play to get their hands on the Scudetto this week and kick off a long-awaited party in Naples.

The league leaders are 18 points ahead with only six games left to play, and they will be crowned champions if second-placed Lazio fail to beat Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday, a day before Napoli themselves play away at Udinese.

Luciano Spalletti emphasised how sluggish his once invincible squad were after a tough month in April where they managed only two wins in seven games in all competitions and crashed out of the Champions League.

"We are currently lacking the sharpness and quality that we had earlier in the season because just like a marathon, the final kilometre is the toughest," he said.

Depending on the Lazio result, Spalletti said he may rest senior players, while Matteo Politano and Mario Rui will most likely miss the clash due to injuries.

Udinese could attempt to spoil Napoli's party just as Salernitana did at the weekend and salvage some points from a lacklustre campaign with the team now 13th, well away from both the relegation zone and the European qualification spots.

Top scorer Beto is expected to return from a back injury for the hosts, giving the home fans hope for a positive outcome.

After having their 15-point deduction overturned in April, Juventus now find themselves in a very different position as they jumped from seventh to third, reigniting their Champions League qualification hopes.

But they have taken only one point from their last four matches and lost to Inter in the Coppa Italia semi-final.

"We had won many games in February and March. We were