Ahead of tomorrow's Champions League encounters, TF90M's Italian football expert Marzia Hazra looks at the chances of the Serie A sides.

With only two rounds to go in the group stages, the time has come to check up on how the Italian representatives have been doing so far in the most prestigious club competition on the planet, the Champions League. Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Fiorentina are all on the verge of qualifying to the last 16, but with six points still up for grabs, this naturally leads to the question; do the teams have what it takes to be legitimate contenders on the European scene this season?

Juventus, group A

Juventus made a number of important moves during the summer in order to bring together a squad with enough depth and quality to fight on several fronts. The key-man was named Diego - the fantasista brought over from Werder Bremen. A two-point deficit currently separates the Bianconeri from group leaders Bordeaux, who just four rounds in the group stages have already secured qualification to the next stage. With a comfortable four-point drop to third place Bayern Munich, the circumstances aren't much to complain about at the moment.

Ciro Ferrara's preferred system of 4-3-1-2 gave Juventus a high-flying start in the domestic season despite the lack of quality fullbacks. But on the European scene where pace plays a key role, the flaw was more prominent and things looked far from convincing. In the opening matchday the home side barely got away with a draw as Bordeaux came to visit the Olimpico. The following round against Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena showcased a game of "one point won rather than two lost" as the visitors had to rely heavily on defending - which they did admirably as they shut down the German's trident attack with efficiency. Ahead of the double fixture with Maccabi Haifa, Ferrara had to change systems due to the injuries that were piling up. The new 4-2-3-1 with Diego flanked by Giovinco and Camoranesi, supported by defensive anchors Sissoko and Felipe Melo in combination with lone forward resulted in a more free-flowing game with more offensive options. Despite having more on possession of both encounters the team had troubles as they entered the third half. Suffice it to say that the team did just enough to grab six important points during the two games, but it won't be enough when facing more qualified opponents. The team still lack speed and mobility at times and also need to be more efficient in front of goal. Let's face it, they're creating the chances - but they're having a hard putting them away.

AC  Milan, group C

Unlike rest of their rivals, AC Milan didn't have much activity going on in the player mercato during the summer. The only real signing was that of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar - who have yet to impress and given a fair chance. So how were the Rossoneri to obtain their main objective? Simple, the burden and responsibility was to be put on Ronaldinho and Pato. Little did they know that their second and third goalkeepers would come to play crucial part as well. Leonardo's men are currently tied on seven points with Real Madrid but top the group due to their superior head to head record with the Spaniards. The group is a close one considering French outfit Marseille trail the duo by a single point.

Milan earned a hard-fought victory against Marseille in the opening matchday thanks to Inzaghi's goals on either side of the interval. No surprises there considering that the Diavolo always raise their game in the Champions League. However, the team followed up with a shocking defeat to FC Zürich in their own backyard. Few believed that Leonardo's men would be able to grab points from the clashes against Real Madrid - particularly in the first of the double fixture. Staying true to their habit the Rossoneri headed into the interval with a 1-0 deficit, but a brilliant comeback in the second with Alexandre Pato bagging a brace also confirmed the turnaround the team had craved for so long. Milan then went on to record another convincing performance against the Spanish giants in the return fixture as they played out an entertaining draw. The Rossoneri have showcased that they still possess players of high class who are now slowly finding the right consistency and are once more being decisive. Due to the limited resources Leonardo have at his disposal there will most likely not be any new arrivals during the transfer window with the exception of David Beckham who returns for his second loan spell at the club. But if the players remains grounded and go out with the determination to fight for an entire 90 minutes this team could perhaps come to surprise us once more.

Fiorentina, group E

During the summer Fiorentina lost one of their most prominent players of the past season as Felipe Melo packed his bags and relocated to Turin. Cristiano Zanetti and Marco Marchionni went the opposite way and many questioned how the Viola would manage the loss. Considering that there were no high-profile moves to the Artemio Franchi this summer, goalkeeper Sebastian Frey along with Alberto Gilardino, Adrian Mutu and starlet Stevan Jovetic would be the key players to guide Viola's in the club's Champions League adventure.

The first game against Lyon ended in a defeat for the Italians who on top of that got Gilardino sent off. Things were to change in the second matchday as Cesare Prandelli's men welcomed Liverpool to Tuscany. If Europe wasn't aware of the talents of Jovetic, they learned after that night. Fiorentina outplayed Rafael Benitez's men on every department as the youngster bagged a brace against the Merseyside-outfit. The Tuscan side then went on to defeate Hungarian champions Debrecen with 5-3 on the road and 5-2 at home. Viola is undoubtedly enjoying a good position in the group as they only need a single point to join Lyon in the final 16. Prandelli's orders of showcasing a more aggressive style seem to have gone down well with the team which basically oozes of confidence at this stage of the tournament after their mind-blowing performances. Although an impressive amount of goals are being scored, there are a lot of goals being conceded as well. Prandelli's main issue of concern throughout the group stages has been the defense along with the club's obvious lack of experience in the European tournament. The Viola has thrived in the underdog position and will continue to do so as their qualification to the next round almost seem a certainty. But the question remains, will they be able to go further than the last 16?

Inter Milan, group F

Inter patron, Massimo Moratti, invested heavily during the summer and emphasized that the Champions League would be the club's main priority - again. Impressive arrivals such as Diego Milito, Samuel Eto'o, Thiago Motta, Lucio and Weskey Sneijder were to add much needed balance after the departure of star man Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and be the key components in achieving the club's ambitions. After spending three matchdays hovering in the bottom half of the group, Inter Milan leapfrogged to first place after the fourth. The group, however, remains one of the tightest for the moment as only small margins are separating the four teams.

In the opening game against reigning champions, Barcelona, Inter had to rely heavily on catenaccio as Pep Guardiola's men - with a certain Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the team - ran circles around Mourinho's ditto. However, the Italians showed impressive defense work and closed down the spaces with efficiency. The Nerazzurri can count themselves lucky for the draw away against Rubin considering how many chances the Russians squandered as they dictated the game from beginning to end. The same applied for the last game against Dynamo Kiev as the home team fell behind twice before they managed to level the score. In the return fixture with the Ukraine's, Inter once again fell behind but completed an impressive comeback in the closing stages of the game as they turned the 1-0 deficit to a 2-1 victory. The Milan club undoubtedly possesses enough quality in the team and with Sneijder's presence they add another dimension to their game with his playmaking qualities and distinct shots. Unless Mourinho can bring their free-flowing attack minded domestic play which oozes of confidence out on the European scene, Moratti will simply have to rearrange his priorities.

Sometimes it's easy to forget that the clubs currently taking part in the tournament are top clubs and champions of their domestic leagues - in other words everything can happen in the Champions League. Just ask reigning champions Barcelona who was only walked away with a single point after their double fixture with "minnows" Rubin Kazan.