Depleted Inter travel to Lazio, Serie A leaders Atalanta at Calgliari

(Reuters) - Champions Inter Milan, struggling with defensive injuries and coming off a tough loss in the Champions League, face a pivotal test against Lazio as they fight to stay in touch with Serie A leaders Atalanta.

Atalanta top the standings on 34 points, two ahead of Napoli with Inter and Fiorentina locked together on 31.

Reeling from Tuesday's 1-0 loss at Bayer Leverkusen, Inzaghi's side remain without injured defensive pillars Francesco Acerbi and Benjamin Pavard.

Inter's 573-minute run without conceding a goal in the Champions League ended when Nordi Mukiele scored for Leverkusen in the 90th minute and Lazio have racked up consecutive wins over Napoli in league and cup ahead of facing Ajax Amsterdam in the Europa League on Thursday.

Gian Piero Gasperini's Atalanta side have secured nine consecutive wins in the league - a Serie A record they could break at Cagliari on Saturday.

Fifteenth-placed Cagliari should present few problems for manager Gian Piero who has no major injury worries apart from Italy defender Giorgio Scalvini, who sustained a shoulder injury ahead of this week's Champions League loss to Real Madrid, and longer-term absentees Gianluca Scamacca and Juan Cuadrado.

Juve are still unbeaten in Serie A but have drawn three games in a row and nine of their opening 15 league fixtures, leaving them seven points behind Atalanta in sixth place.

"Nothing bothers me. I perfectly accept all honest judgements, but I won’t enter this story," Juve coach Thiago Motta said.

"I am only focused on my work: improving the team and helping my players. The rest doesn’t count much."

Against bottom-placed Venezia at home on Saturday, Motta has a good chance of victory. Juve have dominated this fixture historically, winning 10 of their last 12 Serie A matches against the newly-promoted side.

Fiorentina, riding high on an eight-match winning streak in Serie A, will aim to make history when they travel to Bologna on Sunday.

Victory for Raffaele Palladino's side would set a new club record, surpassing the long-standing mark from 1960.