Juventus is looking to upset Roma's bid to get straight into next year's Champions League group stage when the two old rivals face off in Turin on Saturday night.
With champions Inter apparently sailing towards their third straight scudetto, the fight for second place is hotting up.
A win for Juve would bring them to within a point of Roma, increasing their hopes of getting into a Champions League group without going through a preliminary stage.
''We're tough and determined and I'm confident we can do it,'' said captain Alessandro Del Piero.
Del Piero has played some of his best football in years as Juve have surprised pundits with their ability to mix it with the big boys after a Calciopoli-enforced year in Serie B.
The corresponding fixture against Roma at the Olympic Stadium ended in a 2-2 draw - despite Del Piero missing a penalty - and for many observers signalled that Juve were shaking off their pre-season billing as also-rans.
Another hard-fought draw against Inter a few weeks later reinforced the claim.
Roma defender Christian Panucci said Roma knew they had a hard match on their hands.
''Del Piero is a great player,'' he said, ''so our guard will be high''.
Alongside Del Piero, Juve have Serie A's top scorer David Trezequet, whose 15-goal tally currently leads Inter striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic's by one.
Roma captain Francesco Totti is eager to add to his ten-goal haul - a tally he has been stuck on for weeks while struggling with a bad back.
Both sides are keen to show they can revive memories of the great clashes of the 1980s, when they were often scudetto rivals.
''These games will soon have that status again,'' Del Piero said.
Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri may give recent signing Mohamed Sissoko his first start, aiming to protect the Juve rear guard against Roma's flowing football.
Unlike Italy's two other Champions League representatives, Inter and Milan, Roma coach Luciano Spalletti is not expected to rest players ahead of Champions League action in midweek.
Roma play Real Madrid on Tuesday night but Spalletti says ''the Juve game is too important to leave our best players out''.
Despite being eight points behind Inter, Roma are not entirely resigned to competing for second place.
''Inter are a great team and have a big advantage but there's still a long way to go,'' said Brazilian forward Amantino Mancini.
After this weekend's roster of games, Serie A will have 15 matches left. Inter host 15th-placed Livorno in Saturday's early game.
Coach Roberto Mancini may rest some players ahead of Tuesday's Champions League match at Liverpool but Dejan Stankovic is expected to continue his recovery from injury.
Patrick Vieira, on the other hand, will serve out the second part of a two-match ban.
Livorno on Wednesday night stopped Milan overtaking Fiorentina in the battle for the fourth Champions League berth in a 1-1 San Siro draw that saw Ronaldo pick up another career-threatening injury.
Milan, who travel to 17th-placed Parma on Saturday evening, will have Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf back from the knock that kept him out of the Livorno game but Brazilians Kaka' and Pato may be rested for Wednesday's Champions League visit to Arsenal.
That would leave Alberto Gilardino and Filippo Inzaghi as Milan's two attacking options.
Fiorentina host 14th-placed Catania on Sunday already knowing whether a draw will be enough to keep them ahead of Milan.
