The unpredictable battle for Serie A title heats up this weekend as leader Napoli hosts second-placed AC Milan in Naples Sunday.
Champion Inter Milan went into the Serie A winter break in fine form, sitting top of the table after a 2021 to remember in which it sealed a first Scudetto in 11 years.
However, a run of four league games without a win enabled city rival AC Milan to climb to the summit, as it chases its first league title since 2011, only for Stefano Pioli's side to then squander its advantage over the rest.
Milan has drawn its last two leagues games against teams that it would normally expect to beat – bottom-placed Salernitana and Udinese at home – which has opened the door for Sunday's opponents Napoli.
A last-gasp winner at Lazio last weekend saw Napoli become the latest side to go top, a victory which will give it confidence going into Sunday's clash.
Especially given it has had a week's rest between matches, while Milan had a brutal Coppa Italia semifinal first leg Tuesday against Inter, which they drew.
"We will have the time necessary both to prepare for Sunday's match and to recover energy, I have strong players," Pioli said after the Inter match.
"Against Napoli, it will be a difficult match, they are deservedly leading the championship. They are playing for the Scudetto with us, Inter, Juventus and Atalanta. We need to really be at our top level."
Inter, however, could climb back to the top Friday if it beats Salernitana, but its Coppa draw against Milan meant it has gone five without a win in all competitions.
Even more worryingly, the normally free-scoring champion is now without a goal in its last four games.
The form of the top teams has allowed Juventus to creep back into the title race.
All looked lost earlier in the season as Massimiliano Allegri's men languished off the pace for the top four, but a run of one defeat in its last 19 matches in all competitions means Juve is now fourth, seven points behind Napoli. It hosts Spezia on Saturday.
Elsewhere this weekend, Jose Mourinho serves the second game of his two-match touchline ban as his AS Roma side welcomes Atalanta to the capital.
