We are heading into my favourite part of the season, the crowning of the Scudetto winner. In Italian Serie A four games remain from season end but odds are leaders Juventus should wrap up the title when they meet relegation candidates Palermo come Sunday.

At top of the table Juventus need but a one point from the encounter to secure the back to back Scudetti under coach Antonio Conte. And now the real race begins amongst the bottom end of the table with at least four teams who have dug deep and are in deep trouble with three of them heading for football in Serie B next season.

Pescara rooted to the bottom of the table and ten points away from safety on 22 points, looks certain relegation victims.  Above Pescara are Siena on 30 points and Genoa who are on 32 points. Above the dotted lines it is the rejuvenated Palermo who have the same points as Genoa and finally Torino sitting in sixteenth four points clear both these two with 36 points.

Pescara have had a rotten season to date and the club in on their third coach of the season. After a summer of losing their best talent that got them promoted, it was a rebuilding period for Pescara once in the big league. Zdenek Zeman the coach originally onboard left to join Roma on a two year deal. Marco Verratti left the club after rejecting Juventus advances to join the PSG in France in the Carlo Ancelotti revolution. Lorenzo Insigne also left after a successful loan spell and returned to his parent club of Napoli. Ciro Immobile also left the club like Insigne had a successful loan spell from Juventus and joined Genoa.

The club has failed to find stability on and off the field with results failing to come on the pitch leading chairman Daniele Sebastiani to fire two coaches during the campaign. Attack minded coach Marco Stroppa was sacked in November after four months in charge. Cristiano Bergodi was then sacked in March after taking over, now Pescara has the duo of Bruno Nobli and Cristian Bucchi in charge. After the result on last Saturday, a home defeat to Napoli, relegation is a very near horizon as they travel to Genoa this matchday a club also fighting for Serie A survival.

Pescara remaining fixtures are, 5th May Genoa (Away) 8th May AC Milan (Home) 12th May Catania (Away) 19th May Fiorentina (Home)

Siena are sitting second bottom and have failed to show the consistency and fight they showed last season under Giuseppe Sannino, he left the club to join Palermo who then was sacked after three games. Serse Cosmi took the reins at the clubs looking as casual as he always does on the sideline with his American baseball cap and scarf on. But Cosmi only lasted until December and got the boot. His replacement was the former Brescia and Sampdora coach Giuseppe Iachini who took the job in December. The form of Innocent Emeghara has been fantastic since joining on loan from French club Lorient. The Nigerian born Swiss Striker has scored seven goals in 12 games since arriving in January. The goals rest on his young shoulders in the remaining games of the season. The only ray of light to come out of this season was that Siena claimed the double over fallen giants Inter Milan, not a bad thing at all. A win over Pescara in a relegation scrap two games ago 3-2 looked to have helped the club in their escape but that was brought down to earth after a 4-0 thumping in the capital in week 34 at Roma.

Siena remaining fixtures are, 05th May Catania (Away) 08th May Fiorentina (Home) 12th May Napoli (Away) 19th May AC Milan (Home)

Genoa is sitting in the final relegation spot and who were a club pushing for Europe a couple of years ago and they now find themselves in a relegation scrap. A scatter graph transfer policy, no stability on the pitch and president Enrico Preziosi firing managers left right and centre, its hasn’t been the best of season for the club. The turmoil started at the end of last season after a home defeat to Siena 4-1 enraged the Ultras and they stopped the game for over 30 minutes and demanded the player’s shirts. Only two players refused which was Sebastian Frey and Giuseppe Sculli the rest handed in their tops.

This season has been a rollercoaster for Genoa with three managers at the helm, the season started with Luigi De Canio at the helm but he was sacked in October. He was replaced by Luigi Del Neri who once managed city rivals Sampdoria but he was sacked in January of this year and replaced by the Bruce Willis look alike David Ballardini. The new men at the helm as brought some stability and in the last three games Genoa have picked up five points which included an away win at Chievo. In two of the last four games Genoa play teams around them which include Pescara and Torino.

Genoa remaining fixtures are, 05th May Pescara (Home) 08th May Torino (Away) 12th May Inter Milan (Home) 19th May Bologna (Away)

Palermo - The team that is hovering just above the relegation zone is Palermo who up until a month ago has had a season to forget. Fiery President Maurizio Zamparini has been at it again and Palermo is on their fifth manager of the season yes fifth. Giuseppe Sannino started the season out and only lasted three games. Then former Genoa and Inter Milan coach Gian Piero Gasperini was brought in and then he was sacked in February. Alberto Malesani then was named as the coach of Palermo then he was sacked and Gian Piero Gasperini was replaced him for his second stint of being the coach. Not long after being named coach for the second time Gasperini was replaced by Giuseppe Sannino. This managerial change didn’t do much on the pitch as Palermo struggled and they looked destined to Serie B until Sannino returned.

Since the international break back in March Palermo spearheaded by Number 10 Josip Ilicic has been in brilliant form. Wins against Roma, Sampdoria and Inter Milan and draws at home to Bologna and in the Sicilian derby Catania have given Palermo a real chance to beat the drop.

Palermo remaining fixtures are, 05th May (Juventus) 08th May Udinese (Home) 12th May Fiorentina (Away) 19th May Parma (Home)

Torino are looking over their shoulder now after four defeats in their last five games, they have now been sucked into the relegation fight. But they do have a four point lead with four games remaining and with an experienced manager Gianpiero Ventura he will show all of his managerial experience in the next four games to lead Torino to safety.

Torino has been a breath of fresh air in Serie A this season and has played attractive quick paced football. Ventrua sets this Torino up in a 4-2-4 formation with inverted wingers, the reformed Alessio Cerci on the right hand side and Mario Santana on the left hand side. Alessio Cerci has been the stand out performer for Torino this season and his performances have has seen him recalled to the national team. But the recent run of defeats as hindered their season, Torino have only picked up one point in the last fifteen in that run losing to Napoli, Roma, Fiorentina and in the Turin Derby at the weekend to Juventus.

Torino remaining fixtures are, 05th May AC Milan (Away) 08th May Genoa (Home) 12th May Chievo (Away) 19th May Catania (Home)