Inter face Torino as AC Milan and Napoli play catch up for the Scudetto race

(Football news) Inter take on Torino as they have already been crowned the winter champions. Serie A's Scudetto holders will not want the year to end, given a streak of six league wins on the spin, and they start as strong favourites despite their visitors' recently improved fortunes. A cumulative tally of 16-0 accurately reflects the Nerazzurri's domestic dominance over recent weeks, in a spectacular period when they have gone from seven points short of the summit to four points clear of the chasing pack. Although they have been aided by the faltering form of chief rivals Napoli and Milan, there has been a familiar sense of momentum building around Simone Inzaghi's squad – the bulk of whom secured the club's first title for a decade in the spring. Inter became the first team to have netted more than 100 Serie A goals in a calendar year since Milan in 1950. Furthermore, they have now scored more than 47 times in the first half of a top-flight season for the first time since that very same year.

Inter have Joaquin Correa and Matteo Darmian sidelined again through injury as Nicolo Barella must serve a suspension for accumulated bookings, both Simone Verdi and star striker Andrea Belotti are still out of action for Torino

Following three games without a win, and with their Scudetto challenge now starting to falter, AC Milan close out an eventful 2021 with a trip to Empoli. While the Rossoneri lost narrowly to title rivals Napoli at the weekend, their final hosts before the mid-season break added another point to an impressive tally since returning to Serie A. Failing to find the net for the first time this season, Milan were beaten again on Sunday night – their fourth defeat in eight games since November's Derby della Madonnina and have been hauled back into third place in the table by their latest conquerors. Milan could become only the second team in Serie A history to achieve at least 17 away league wins in a calendar year – following Napoli's total of 18 four years ago – but they have won just one of their three league fixtures on the road since November and are visibly starting to stutter. For Milan Giroud, Ante Rebic and Pietro Pellegri remain unavailable.

Napoli face Spezia at the Diego Maradona Stadium, beating Milan at San Siro rejuvenates the Partenopei's title challenge ahead of the halfway point in Serie A, while their struggling visitors picked up just their second point in six games on Monday. The former league leaders, who started the campaign under new coach Spalletti in scintillating form, were still missing a number of first-team regulars, but survived a late Milan 'equaliser' – subsequently ruled out by the VAR – to earn a win which keeps them four points behind Inter at the Serie A summit.

After successive home defeats at the hands of Atalanta and Empoli, then, Napoli should be in a good frame of mind to complete the calendar year against ailing opponents this week, and if their main men can recover over the brief winter break, they remain in the mix for trophies at home and abroad. They will first be banking on entering the mid-season interval with another three points added to their tally at the Maradona, where they have conceded just six league goals.For Napoli Midfield creator Fabian Ruiz, defensive mainstay Kalidou Koulibaly and captain Lorenzo Insigne have all been undergoing individual training and are not fit to feature this week, while top scorer Victor Osimhen is out of action for some while yet due to a broken cheekbone.

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