Roma hope to beat Milan at the Olimpico on Saturday to up the pressure on an Inter whose coach Roberto Mancini quit on Tuesday only to reverse the decision a day later.
A win would, for a day at least, cut Inter's lead to three points ahead of the champions' home fixture with 8th-placed Palermo on Sunday. Roma are buoyant after beating Real Madrid twice to reach the Champions League quarter-finals. Inter lost to Liverpool twice to leave the Romans as Italy's sole representatives.
Mancini's shock announcement came after the defeat to Liverpool ended Inter's bid for its prime objective after two straight Serie A titles.
He did a U-turn following talks with Chairman Massimo Moratti and pledged allegiance until the end of his four-year contract.
But many Italian soccer pundits said the affair might have caused a rift that could play into Roma's hands. Roma captain Francesco Totti told reporters his side was confident of winning the scudetto and the Champions League.
''We're on a high and we want them both,'' Totti said.
Asked if Mancini's outburst might have unsettled Inter, he said: ''They might have some problems''.
''We'll have to see how the players react''.
Totti said he wasn't sure whether it would be a shot in the arm or a knock to their confidence.
''The only thing I know is that something like that has never happened to me,'' he said.
European champs Milan are looking for a win to leapfrog Fiorentina into the fourth Champions League berth - their remaining goal after Arsenal knocked them out of the Champions last week.
Clarence Seedorf, Alessandro Nesta and Filippo Inzaghi are fighting to be fit for the trip to Rome.
Juventus, seven points behind Roma in third, will have a depleted defence for Sunday's visit by Napoli with stopper Nicola Legrottaglie and right back Jonathan Zebina suspended.
Italy winger Mauro Camoranesi is also banned while ex-Italy midfielder Cristiano Zanetti is out for a month.
But they were boosted Wednesday night when world No. 1 keeper Gianluigi Buffon extended his contract until 2013. Fiorentina, who beat Everton on Wednesday night to reach the UEFA Cup quarter-finals, host 9th-placed Genoa in their bid to hold onto a one-point lead over Milan.
