In Italian Serie A football, the matches of the 20th round will be played this weekend.
According to Idman.Biz, the title race looks extremely competitive by mid-January. Inter lead the standings with 42 points, but several chasers are close behind: Milan have 39 points, Napoli have 38, while Juventus and Roma are both on 36.
Inter vs Napoli (January 11)
The centerpiece of the round will take place in Milan at San Siro. Kick-off is scheduled for 23:45 Baku time.
From a standings perspective, this is a match that could significantly swing the scudetto race. Inter come into the game in first place, while Napoli are third and trail by four points with the same number of matches played. A home win would allow Inter to extend their lead, while a victory for the visitors would reignite the intrigue in the fight for first place.
The recent form of the two sides differs. Cristian Chivu’s team continue their winning run and defeated Parma 2:0 away earlier this week, maintaining their position at the top. Napoli, meanwhile, rescued a draw against Verona (2:2) in the previous round after coming back from 0:2 down. After the match, Antonio Conte specifically highlighted his team’s reaction, noting that a disastrous first half could have “broken anyone”, but Napoli managed to get back into the game.
Squad issues could also influence the outcome. At Inter, Davide Frattesi remains a doubt, while there is hope that Andy Diouf and Tomas Palacios could return to the squad, and Denzel Dumfries continues to be sidelined with a long-term injury. Napoli’s list of absentees is more significant: Frank Anguissa, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Billy Gilmour are among those unavailable or struggling with fitness issues, while David Neres is listed as doubtful.
Inside Inter, it is no secret that this is one of the key moments of the season. After the win over Parma, Chivu underlined the importance of the game against Napoli, stressing that in the league “there are no matches that can be underestimated” and that at this stage “every point matters”. Conte, for his part, spoke after the setback against Verona about the need to improve in terms of quality, while also praising his team’s character and ability to pull through difficult matches.
Other matches of Serie A Matchday 20
January 10
Como – Bologna
Udinese – Pisa
Roma – Sassuolo
Atalanta – Torino
January 11
Lecce – Parma
Fiorentina – Milan
Verona – Lazio
January 12
Genoa – Cagliari
Juventus – Cremonese
Current Serie A standings
1. Inter – 42
2. Milan – 39
3. Napoli – 38
4. Juventus – 36
5. Roma – 36
6. Como – 33
7. Atalanta – 28
8. Bologna – 26
9. Lazio – 25
10. Udinese – 25
11. Sassuolo – 23
12. Torino – 23
13. Cremonese – 22
14. Cagliari – 19
15. Parma – 18
16. Lecce – 17
17. Genoa – 16
18. Verona – 13
19. Fiorentina – 13
20. Pisa – 12
Teymur Tushiyev
