PREVIEW: Leaders Milan to keep chasers at bay after Euro crash

Leaders AC Milan hope to get over a bad mid-week outing when they visit Chievo on Sunday for the first of three crucial Serie A games.

The Rossoneri last weekend crushed Parma 4-0 and seemed to have bounced back from two dismal draws, but spoiled their mood Tuesday with a 1-0 defeat at home to Tottenham in the Champions League.

It will take a perfect game in London to advance to the quarter- finals, but, before then, things will get dicey also in the home league, with tough ties against Napoli and Juventus following the game at solid Chievo.

To make things worse for the Devils, champions Inter Milan moved to within five points Wednesday through a hard-fought 2-1 win at Fiorentina.

The win in the game rescheduled from December helped Inter forget a 1-0 defeat at Juventus at the weekend and pushed them in full contention for the title with 13 games left.

Inter's Argentine midfielder Esteban Cambiasso said he prefers not to look at the standings, "even if now they are real, without games in hand. We know that the chase only depends on ourselves."

The reigning champions fell 13 points behind early in the season, but their pace changed with the arrival in January of new coach Leonardo, formerly at Milan.

Newcomers Andrea Ranocchia, Houssine Kharja and striker Giampaolo Pazzini, with four goals in five games, also had a role.

Mid-table guests Cagliari are Inter's next hurdle late Saturday, beginning a run of easy games leading to a city derby with Milan in early April.

Second-place Napoli tackle Villarreal in the Europa League Thursday and should have an easy task at home to Catania late Sunday.

In the race for European berths, fourth-placed Lazio look to retain the last available one for the Champions League when they welcome bottom side Bari on Sunday.

Also keen to appear in the continental arena are Udinese, hosting lowly Brescia, and Juventus, who visit struggling Lecce.

Bologna welcome Palermo Saturday, with remaining Sunday action pitting Fiorentina against Sampdoria as Parma tackle Cesena in a regional derby.

Roma also crashed in the Champions League, losing 3-2 at home to Shakhtar Donetsk, and travel to Genoa, who in mid-week beat city rivals Sampdoria 1-0 in a rescheduled city derby.