SESTRIERE, Italy (AP) – It’s simple for Bode Miller: He has two races left and must win both.

Miller, known as much for his stunning successes as his bewildering blowouts, trails World Cup overall leader Hermann Maier by 167 points with just a giant slalom and slalom remaining.

Miller is fourth in the standings. He needs to win both races and hope that Maier fails to score any points if he hopes to become the first American man to win the overall title since Phil Mahre in 1983.

“That makes for some good drama,” U.S. coach Phil McNichol said.

Maier has 1,265 points entering Saturday’s giant slalom and Sunday’s slalom – which he normally doesn’t run. Stephan Eberharter, the two-time defending overall champion, is second at 1,223. Like Maier, he normally doesn’t ski the slalom. Technical specialist Benjamin Raich, expected to pick up a lot of points this weekend, is third with 1,113. Miller has 1,098. Wins are worth 100 points.

“My plan remains the same as all season – to win every giant slalom and slalom I race,” Miller said. “The giant slalom is the first title up so I’m going to try and win that.”

Three men need to win Saturday’s giant slalom: Miller and Raich to keep alive their chances for the overall, and Finland’s Kalle Palander, who is looking to overtake Miller for the discipline title.

Miller, seeking his first World Cup discipline title, tops the giant slalom standings with 410 points. Palander is second, trailing by 61 points.

“Everybody knows Bode likes to win,” Palander said. “But everybody also knows sometimes he is a bit unstable, like me.”

If Maier finishes fourth in the giant slalom, the Austrian can virtually clinch the overall title that belonged to him before the 2001 motorcycle accident that nearly cost him a leg.

Fourth place would leave Maier with 1,315 and out of reach from Raich and Miller, even if either wins both races. Maier won an Olympic gold medal and three World Cup titles in the giant slalom before his accident. His best showing in the discipline this season is seventh.

Eberharter is also unlikely to excel in the giant slalom. His best result in the discipline this season was eighth in October.

He has since failed to finish better than 15th.

“I’m not worrying about the overall,” Miller said. “I’m going into Saturday’s giant slalom looking to win so I can win the discipline title. If I can win that, then it plays into my hand for the overall.”

Miller hurt his chances when he failed to score any points in the final downhill and super giant slalom earlier in the week.

“Getting points in the super G and downhill would have been a bonus, but it’s not my bread and butter,” he said. “I can’t say I lost the overall title here.”

Palander is also looking to win the slalom title Sunday. Schoenfelder leads the discipline rankings with 550 points, 55 ahead of the Finn.

Among the women, Sweden’s Anja Paerson, who has already clinched both gate titles with 10 victories this season, will attempt to secure the overall prize ahead of World Cup downhill and super-G champion Renate Goetschl.

Paerson is 77 points ahead of the Austrian and is favored in both remaining races.

Goetschl has to finish second or better in the giant slalom and hope the Swede scores almost no points in either race.

“I only need a top-10 finish in the slalom on Saturday,” Paerson said. “And as I’ve won six times this season I feel I can manage that.”