Serie A: League leaders Inter face Bologna as AC Milan and Napoli play catch up

(Football news) The league leaders Inter take on Bologna in their first match of the new year as Simone Inzaghi’s side will hope to continue their relentless form. Scudetto holders Inter Milan seek to start the new year in the same way 2021 ended, as they aim to extend a seven-match winning streak at the Renato Dall’Ara. Crowned 'Winter Champions' just before the mid-season break, the Nerazzurri have been relentless since their last league loss back in October as they head into the clash as clear favourites. Inzaghi took over the squad and have made them subsequently better as the first half of the current campaign suggests he has even managed to improve on Antonio Conte's impressive last season stats as well. Last year, Inter became the first team to have netted more than 100 Serie A goals since 1950 and won a total of 19 home league games in 2021 shows how dominating Inter have been last year.

For Inter, Edin Dezko will be out for the game as he has to self isolate himself due Covid, other than that most of the squad looks fit and firing. Joaquin Correa and Alexis Sanchez will take place to form an all-South American front two with 11-goal top scorer Lautaro Martinez, while the suspension of Hakan Calhanoglu will mean that either of Stefano Sensi, Roberto Gagliardini, Arturo Vidal and Matias Vecino might start in the number 10 role.

AC Milan are playing catch up after their best start in almost a decade as they take on Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma. Inconsistency crept into the AC Milan squad just before the international break as the Rossoneri lost pace to their city rivals Inter while AS Roma have won two of their last three games in 2021 to hang onto sixth in the standings. In 2021 the Rossoneri led the pack as 'Winter Champions' before losing pace at the top, Pioli will hope his young and experienced squad are able to reverse their fortunes. With their win in Tuscany, Milan became only the second team in Serie A history to achieve at least 17 away victories in a calendar year, but ahead of Roma's visit this week, their home record is just the seventh-best in the division.

The Rossoneri have lost two of their last three home games in the top flight – as many as they had suffered in their previous 13 matches and will hope the new year brings better luck for them In 2021 Roma lost a total of 12 away games in Serie A, and only in both 1949 and 1950 have they suffered more in a calendar year. Mourinho will be determined for a more positive outcome and hopefully win away from home.

For AC Milan Ismael Bennacer, Franck Kessie and Fode Ballo-Toure are all representing their countries at the Africa Nations Cup. Midfielders Ebrima Darboe and Amadou Diawara are both on Africa Cup of Nations duty for AS Roma as they will welcome back their talisman Lorenzo Pelligrini back into the starting lineup.

The match of the week is when Napoli travel to Turin to face Juventus as both teams are separated by just two places and five points in the Serie A standings. Allegri's men sit 12 points behind the league leaders in Serie A because of their lack of incision in the final third. Juventus are the joint lowest-scoring team in the top half of the table, even Sassuolo have scored more as Allergri doesn’t expect any signings in the January transfer window due to financial restrictions at the club. Misfiring striker Alvaro Morata may even be on his way out of Turin in the coming weeks, but would dearly love to make an impact against Napoli

Luciano Spalletti's men have been plagued by injuries to several players which has resulted in them being defensively very poor recently as they had barely conceded a goal on the way to top of the Serie A standings in the first few weeks. Four losses came in quick succession, as they lost to Inter first was followed by defeats to Atlanta, Empoli and most frustratingly losing against relegation threatened Spezia and also slumped out of the Coppa Italia to Serie B opposition. To add to their misery their talisman Lorenzo Insigne is on his way out of the club in the summer as Spalletti might not pick him, knowing his loyalties lie somewhere else.

Also read: Serie A hits and misses for the 2021/22 mid season

For Napoli there is a mini Covid outbreak as Hirving Lozano, Kevin Malcuit, Victor Osimhen, Alex Meret and Mario Rui have been affected. Regular starters Andre-Frank Anguissa and Victor Osimhen Kalidou Koulibaly and Adam Ounas will join their respective countries for the African Cup of Nations. For Juve Giorgio Chiellini will be unavailable after coming in contact with a covid positive player as Kaio Jorge and Luca Pellegrini are out of action due to illness.

The other fixtures are: