Ranieri upbeat about cup chances

Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri insists his side will travel to FC Internazionale Milano for tonight's Coppa Italia quarter-final first leg with a positive outlook.

Winning run
Inter welcome their Serie A rivals aiming for their 14th consecutive victory in all competitions. The Nerazzurri prolonged their winning streak with a 3-2 success against Parma FC on Sunday, courtesy of two late Zlatan Ibrahimović strikes. Despite the below-par performance, Inter head into the Derby d'Italia in fine shape, unlike the Bianconeri.

Absent players
Juventus struggled to overcome Empoli FC in the last 16 of the competition last week, and will arrive at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza shorn of a number of key players. Long-term absentees Jorge Andrade and Jonathan Zebina have been joined on the sidelines by fellow defender Giorgio Chiellini, while midfielders Mauro Camoranesi, Pavel Nedvěd, and Hasan Salihamidžić are also unavailable. Nevertheless, Ranieri, 56, remains unperturbed. "We're aware of our own strength and Inter's too," he said. "We travel to Milan aiming to do our best and to try and score because it's a cup game and we'll also have the return leg in Turin in a week's time."

League leadership
Until the summer of 2006 La Vecchia Signora had usually faced Inter as favourites. However the teams have switched places, and the Nerazzurri, seven points clear in Serie A, are unbeaten in all competitions since defeat by Fenerbahçe SK on Matchday 1 of the UEFA Champions League. Juvenuts meanwhile are 12 points behind their opponents.

Other matches
In this evening's other ties, UC Sampdoria meet AS Roma and Udinese Calcio host Calcio Catania, while S.S. Lazio play ACF Fiorentina tomorrow. Also tonight, AC Milan could climb to sixth in Serie A when they face Atalanta BC in Bergamo, a fixture rearranged from earlier in the season.