ROME (AFP) - AS Roma's stunning 2-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu to knock Real Madrid out of the Champions League has got everyone believing that there is once again a title race in Italy.

Roma travel to Napoli on Sunday a week after their hosts did them a huge favour in becoming the first team this season to beat leaders Inter Milan and helping reduce the capital-based club's deficit at the top to six points.

And with confidence high following their 4-2 Champions League aggregate victory over the Spanish champions, and with Inter in the midst of an injury crisis in defence, Roma are understandably feeling confident.

Their players even believe they can win three trophies this season, as they are also through to the Italian Cup semi-finals.

"You can't choose. It's normal that the championship and the Champions League are slightly more important objectives," said midfielder Daniele De Rossi.

"But once you get to the semi-finals of the Italian Cup it would be stupid not to go for it.

"We're going forward and looking to win everything because those who set their sights lower can miss out on a goal. We've got to fight for everything."

Roma are riding high but must be wary of Napoli who came flying out of the blocks against Inter and dominated from start to finish, even missing a penalty in their 1-0 victory.

Having gone three league games without a win, and in fact four games in all competitions without a success, Inter are starting to look a little brittle.

Their owner Massimo Moratti is aware that Roma pose a serious threat to his team's hopes of a third Serie A crown in a row.

"We're happy that the yellow-and-reds have gone through to the next round, also for Italian football given that Milan were knocked out of the Champions League (by Arsenal)," he said.

"But the fact that their morale will be high could even give them an advantage in the championship."

Inter do at least have a seemingly straight forward home match against lowly Reggina on Saturday which they will be eager to win in style.

They celebrate their centenary this weekend and boss Roberto Mancini is unlikely to rest players like he did against Napoli.

However, with their crunch Champions League second round, second leg tie against Liverpool on Tuesday, where they trail 2-0 from the first leg, Mancini will be wary of taking any unnecessary risks with players carrying knocks, such as forwards Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Julio Cruz, midfielder Dejan Stankovic or Brazilian full-back Maxwell, all of whom missed the Napoli defeat.

AC Milan travel to Empoli on Sunday with their season hanging in the balance.

Out of the Champions league and languishing in fifth place in the league and four points off the top four and a qualification position for Europe's premier competition next season, they simply have to find their form.

Australian goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac insists they need to find some energy from somewhere.

"We have to take fourth place," he said. "We're sorry for everyone that we're out of a competition as prestigious as the Champions League, but we have to find the energy and strength to carry on.

"In the last few months we've struggled a lot due to the number of matches we've played, now we will be able to better prepare for each individual match and earn many important points."

Milan are battling with Juventus, who travel to Genoa, and Fiorentina, who visit Siena, for the third and fourth places in the league but they trail the pair by five and four points respectively.

Fixtures:

Saturday

Inter Milan v Reggina, Palermo v Udinese

Sunday

Catania v Cagliari, Empoli v AC Milan, Genoa v Juventus, Lazio v Livorno, Napoli v AS Roma, Parma v Sampdoria, Siena v Fiorentina, Torino v Atalanta