The top tier in Italy returns this weekend after the brief Christmas pause. Inter Milan went into that period at the top of the league, but they will be looking to extend their lead against Napoli. Meanwhile, AS Roma will be looking to increase their chances of a top-four finish when they host Torino.
Napoli vs Inter Milan
Antonio Conte's domestic form since his return to Italy has been nothing short of astounding. That form has given Inter an excellent chance to achieve the impossible dream of knocking Juventus off the top of the Italian ladder. Conte was given the money that he asked for over the summer, and his additions of Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez and Diego Godin have been rewarded with immediate success.
Lukaku has quickly become one of the most dangerous strikers in Serie A and has scored 12 goals in his 17 appearances. However, Inter will be well aware that they can't afford to let their form slip as Juventus will be there to pounce immediately. They are unbeaten in their last five, and they have won three of these fixtures. They will come into this fixture high on confidence after recording a comfortable 4-0 victory last time out against Genoa. Lukaku scored a brace in that game, while there were also goals for Roberto Gagliardini and Sebastiano Esposito. It was an excellent performance, and a repeat of this would probably be enough to get the three points.
Napoli have suffered domestically this season, and that spelled the end of the Carlo Ancelotti era at the club. They have fallen behind in the battle for a top-four place and will need to discover their form quickly. They will come into this fixture in good confidence after winning 2-1 last time out against Sassuolo. Allan equalised for Napoli in that game, before Pedro Obiang scored the winner deep into injury time. Their form to this point will make it hard for punters to bet on anything other than an Inter Milan win.
AS Roma vs Torino
Roma have been in excellent form over recent weeks, and they could cement their place in the top-four this weekend with another win against Torino. Over their last five league matches, Roma have won three times and drawn twice. They have become a very difficult nut to crack for opposing sides, and the arrival of Chris Smalling has been instrumental in that.
The defender on loan from Manchester United has helped Roma boast the third-best defensive record in the league. If they would have started in this kind of form, then they may have had a chance at being nearer to the top of the league. They have won their last two and scored seven goals in the process. The first of these wins was a 3-1 success at home against SPAL, before a 4-1 win on the road against Fiorentina. In that second game, there were goals for Eden Dzeko, Aleksandr Kolarov, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Nicolo Zaniolo.
Torino aren't in as good of a patch as Roma, and they haven't won in their last two. Their recent form means that they are locked in the middle of the division at this point. They have no fear of relegation, but they also have an outside chance of getting a place in Europe. Their last outing saw them slip to a disappointing 2-1 defeat against SPAL. Tomas Ricon scored for Torino to give them an early lead, but they surrounded the points in the second half. It will be difficult to see anything other than a Roma victory in this fixture.
