Serie A leaders Sampdoria are brimming with confidence heading into this weekend's game against Parma after shutting down four-time defending champions Inter last week.
The 1-0 victory pushed Samp one point clear of Juventus after six matches of the season.
"In pre-season we were all convinced of our worth," said Sampdoria goalkeeper Luca Castellazzi. "There is a great atmosphere in the group and we are all united and determined.
"We are aware that we didn't do well last year (finishing 13th) and we are eager to make amends."
Anything but a win for Samp at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris could see Juventus or Inter claim top spot.
Both were held to away draws by Bayern Munich and Rubin Kazan respectively in midweek in the UEFA Champions League.
Juve, who are one point behind Samp and one clear of Inter, travel to La Favorita to meet Palermo on Sunday evening while the Nerazzurri host in-form Udinese 24 hours earlier.
Out-of-form AC Milan make the short journey to Bergamo to meet Atalanta desperate to turn around their season.
Rossoneri fans suffered another disappointment in Wednesday's shock 1-0 home loss to Zurich in the Champions League.
Leonardo's Milan have struggled in domestic action, winning just twice and scoring one goal in their last five league games.
Fiorentina go into Sunday's game against Lazio in buoyant mood following their 2-0 midweek triumph over Liverpool in the Champions League.
The Viola will now turn their attention to the domestic front as they face Lazio on Sunday looking to clinch their third straight win.
Genoa have seen their promising start to the Serie A campaign fade after claiming just one point from their last three matches.
Last weekend's 2-0 loss at Udinese marked their second defeat of the campaign and saw the Grifoni drop to sixth in the standings. That was followed by a spirited performance in the 3-2 defeat at Valencia in the UEFA Europa League.
Gian Piero Gasperini's side will be without injured defenders Giuseppe Biava and Domenico Criscito for their match at Bologna.
Cagliari appear to have left their troubles behind them following their slow start to the campaign. They square off against Chievo in Sardinia looking to make it three wins in a row.
Napoli fans will be praying their side can put an end to their poor run on the road having failed to win away from Naples since October 2008.
A defeat at Roma could prove costly for under-fire coach Roberto Donadoni.
Siena will have an added motivation to beat Tuscan neighbours Livorno knowing that a defeat could see them drop into the relegation zone.
Catania travel to the mainland to meet Bari desperate to claim their first win of the campaign. The Sicilian outfit face a huge task as they must overcome the absence of suspended trio Ciro Capuano, Alessandro Potenza and Gennaro Delvecchio.
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