The irresistible run of Lazio, solitary league leaders after 10 days at a pace that only Arsenal holds in Europe, is measured against the collapse of Napoli, who have half the points in the standings, are in an identity crisis and with a fractured dressing room. The victories in the Champions League illuminate the Lombard derby between Inter, who seem to have overcome the after-effects of the defeat against Milan, and Como fresh from the astonishing 9-1 against Lens. These are the two big matches that close the tour de force between the two breaks for the national team and which could allow the other two in the leading group, Roma and Milan, to redeem their defeats in Europe and gain positions by having to face two teams of lesser quality, Sassuolo and Genoa.
Also noteworthy is the challenge between two arch-enemies: Fiorentina, who occasionally show signs of recovery after a disastrous start, and Juve, who through ups and downs are still -6 from the Champions League zone.
Serie A is recording new balances of power: apart from the traditional greats Inter and Milan, Roma and Como are consolidated in the top positions, Lazio and Frosinone are appearing while Juve, Napoli and Atalanta are off the radar for now. A lot is scored (318 goals so far), the minutes of play increase, the referees whistle fewer fouls and the VAR intervenes less and less. The pace is more intense, injuries are increasing and the squads are often insufficient.
Everyone expects a slowdown from Lazio, but the days pile up and Gattuso advances slyly and pretends to think about the survival quota. The first place is well deserved given that the club has never achieved 28 points out of 30 in its long history. The team plays well, has character and struggles less by not competing in cups. Now he will have to do without Zaccagni at the home of a Napoli bewildered by defeats, injuries, arguments between players, with the punishment of retirement. An incandescent atmosphere exacerbated by the defeats against Juve and Porto, by Allegri's increasingly precarious position with the team conceding many goals in the second half. Sunday could be the watershed of the season: a knockout could accelerate drastic solutions with the coach now in the balance. Lazio plays easily and without anxiety, and can accelerate their escape.
11 months have passed since Inter-Como 4-0, now Fabregas' Como side are a battleship that has made half of Europe fall in love with the 4-1s over Leipzig and Manchester United and the exaggerated 9-1 against Lens (better than Bayern's 9-2 over Dinamo Zagreb in 2024).
Even with so many injuries, Como is a close-knit orchestra directed by the brilliant Nico Paz. After the lesson in the derby, Inter seem to have learned their lesson, but it would be difficult with Fabregas to remedy another handicap start. While waiting for Lautaro, Pio Esposito will team up with the essential Thuram to try to do better than the wild Douvikas.
Best offense vs. best defense. Putting the question this way, Roma's task against Sassuolo would seem easy, but the waste of yet another comeback suffered at the end puts Gasperini on notice who is waiting for the recoveries and purchases in January to be able to make the total pressing that his plans require less risky. Soulè, Mora and Malen will try to do better than the interesting trident of the Emilians, Esposito, Berardi and Laurientè.
Aquilani risks dismissal if he fails to avoid his fifth knockout in a row. The task of Rabiot and Pulisic's Milan appears more complicated, intoxicated by the turning point in the derby but mortified by the collapse against Ferencvaros, against Genoa who De Rossi regenerated when he seemed close to being sacked and who won 12 points in 5 matches. The Ligurians have found a decisive attacker in Osmajic.
The exploit against Sassuolo reinvigorated Vanoli and Mastantuono's Fiorentina as they awaited the match, often on edge, with Juve that Spalletti partially put back on track with the success against Napoli and then obtained a comforting success in the Cup with a special mention for the criticized Kolo Muani. But the Tuscan coach knows that another slip would not be forgiven. Alvini's Frosinone does not have these problems and continues to amaze with excellent performances and continuous results. Now the Ciociari will have a delicate match at the home of Cagliari who, after a convincing start, have recorded four defeats in a row, albeit with many mitigating factors.
Another confident team is Bologna who have changed their register with Palladino and, with 4 successes in 5 matches, have reached mid-table and will be involved in the Emilian derby with Parma who recovered with the surprising success in Bergamo.
That knockout made Sarri's position increasingly precarious in an Atalanta team that was never able to digest Gasperini's departure. And now the Bergamo players, after the modest home draw with a Kazakh team, will meet another former coach, Juric, who has now landed in a Monza team in a negative series. After a series of three successes, Torino's progress began to falter again, clearly defeated by Como and Frosinone. Now they will try to restart at the expense of Di Francesco's Lecce, fresh from three knockouts in a row.
