Inter have a massive 20-point lead over Roma and are poised to retain the Scudetto that was awarded to them last season despite finishing third.

The fall-out from the Italian match-fixing scandal saw Juventus stripped of the 2005-06 title, while second-placed AC Milan were deducted 30 points.

With no Juve this season and AC Milan given an eight-point penalty, there has been a certain amount of inevitability about Inter's championship stroll.

And Daniel Passarella, who captained Argentina when they won the World Cup on home soil in 1978 and played for Inter between 1986 and 1988, believes his former club could now go on to dominate Italian football.

"This Scudetto is already won, it's history," Passarella told ESPN.

"It's remarkable the difference between Inter and the rest of Serie A, and this is only the start.

"There's no doubt that this Inter side has mastered the art of winning and they will get stronger and stronger."

Inter defender Marco Materazzi, a World Cup winner with Italy last year, is suspended for the trip to Calabria while Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Brazilian wingback Maxwell are unlikely to play due to injuries. Ibrahimovic has a groin strain while Maxwell has a sore calf muscle.

AC Milan will need to pick themselves up from Tuesday's disappointing 2-2 home draw against Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal when they host Empoli this weekend.

Desperate to clinch a Champions League place for next season, AC Milan are currently in sixth place, a point behind Empoli and four adrift of fourth-placed Palermo.

Empoli striker Nicola Pozzi, who is partly owned by Milan, insisted his loyalties would not be divided at the weekend.

"Milan own part of me and I've played in some friendlies for their first team," he said.

"But right now I'm an Empoli player and once I'm on the pitch you will see how committed to them I am."

Second-placed Roma, who beat English Premiership leaders Manchester United 2-1 in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on Wednesday, play Catania behind closed doors at Lecce's Del Mare stadium.

Catania have been banned from playing at their Massimino stadium following the death of a policeman during crowd trouble in February.

A civil court ruled on Wednesday that Catania fans would be allowed to attend matches at neutral venues, but a government-backed security watchdog overruled the decision for the Roma match given the reputation of the two sets of fans for causing trouble.

Lazio, who have propelled themselves up to third place after winning seven games in a row, host Messina at the Olympic stadium.