Roma and Ronaldo aiming to enliven Serie A

ROME, Feb 1 (Reuters) Inter Milan's dominance has virtually killed off the title race, but this weekend's round of matches promises to breathe new life into Serie A as the leaders host second-placed AS Roma, and Ronaldo makes his AC Milan debut.

The top-of-the-table clash at the San Siro stadium on Sunday (kickoff 1930 GMT) has been billed as Roma's last chance to derail Inter's apparently inexorable progress towards the scudetto.

With a record 14 successive league wins behind them, Inter have established an 11-point advantage over Roma -- no team has ever led by such a large margin after 21 games.

Their coach Roberto Mancini has continued to warn his players against complacency, telling La Gazzetta dello Sport this week they were ''still a long way from wrapping up the title'' and that ''I really don't believe it's over'', though his is an increasingly rare point of view.

Many Italians believe his team is too strong and too far ahead to be caught, and this week one of the country's largest bookmakers announced it was prepared to pay out to anyone who had put money on Inter winning the title.

Roma coach Luciano Spalletti expressed the majority view when he said: ''Sunday's match is our last chance. If we don't beat Inter then the championship is finished.'' It was difficult, he continued, to find a chink in Inter's armour.

''They have shown they've got strength and personality. They have got a good balance in the team, and they take their chances well.

''Even when they change formation the team is the same in terms of quality and conviction.'' Roma defender Philippe Mexes is injured and risks missing the match but Francesco Totti's return from suspension gives Spalletti back his captain and leading scorer.

Inter, meanwhile, have all their best players available for selection, with striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic aiming to follow up his superb performance last week, when he scored one goal and set up another in a 2-0 victory over Sampdoria.

RONALDO RETURN Should Inter win again and go 14 points clear, Italy's neutrals can console themselves with Ronaldo's return to Serie A.

The three-times FIFA World Player of the Year, who completed his 7.5 million euro (9.7 million dollar) move from Real Madrid on Tuesday, is not expected to be in Milan's starting line-up for their way trip to Ascoli on Sunday, but could feature as a substitute.

Bottom-placed Ascoli, who have won just two matches all season, should provide a gentle workout for the striker, who last appeared in Serie A for Milan's arch-rivals Inter on the final day of the 2001-02 season in a 4-2 defeat to Lazio that cost his side the title.

The 30-year-old Ronaldo will be eager to get off to a good start at ninth-placed Milan, not only to help them in their bid to qualify for next season's Champions League, but also to help erase the enduring image of that day in May 2002.

The star striker was left sobbing on the bench at Rome's Olympic Stadium, having been substituted halfway through the second half.

Inter fans are, of course, furious that he has chosen to sign for their arch-rivals. Many in Italy, however, admit they are intrigued at how the player known as ''The Phenomenon'' will cope with a return to Serie A after being sidelined in Madrid.

As one of Ronaldo's former coaches at Inter, Gigi Simoni, put it ''We can all enjoy his decision to return to Serie A, because he might bring greater quality to a mediocre championship.'' Reuters PM GC0915