It’s been a fascinating first half of the season in Italy as perennial champions Juventus have struggled under new manager Max Allegri while last year’s champions Inter Milan have not missed a beat under new boss Simone Inzaghi.
SERIE A
Top four: Inter, AC Milan, Napoli, Atalanta
Most expected Inter Milan to struggle after losing Romelu Lukaku with the club in a difficult financial situation too, but they’ve held their own under new boss Simone Inzaghi and have pushed their way to the top of the table.
The Nerazurri are on 46 points after leapfrogging their local rivals AC Milan – on 42 – who had led the way for most of the season before suffering a blip in form as the holiday season approached.
The two rivals could not be separated when they played in a 1-1 draw last month and it promises to be an enthralling inter-city battle, with Milan looking for their first title since 2011.
After finishing runners up to Inter last season, they will be hopeful of making a better fist of it this time out.
Following behind are Napoli, who trail Milan by three points on 39. Luciano Spalletti’s men beat Milan 1-0 this month, but that was their only win in their last five games and will look to bounce back in January.
Atalanta have been consistent challengers for the top four over the last few years, so it’s not a shock to see them occupy fourth spot as we go into the break.
But for Juventus, it’s another year of turbulence – and it appears they have problems that even Max Allegri can’t fix after bringing back their successful boss to replace the troubled Andrea Pirlo. They are fifth on 34 points and the title looks out of reach already. The top four will be their priority.
And in sixth it’s Jose Mourinho’s Roma, who are 14 points off the top and facing a battle to earn a Champions League spot – although an impressive 4-1 win at Atalanta has given them hope.
Making up the bottom three in Serie A is Genoa, Cagliari and Salernitana.
