Inter, Napoli and AC Milan are split by ONE point as Serie A hosts best title race in Europe

Starved of genuine title races, fans are turning to Italy where the margins couldn’t be closer and the stakes couldn’t be higher. 

The Premier League has a 10-point gap between league leaders Man City and Chelsea in third. In Germany it’s 14 points separating Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen. France is no better, Paris Saint-Germain 14 points clear of third-placed Nice. Spain’s LaLiga is at 13 points between Real Madrid and Real Betis.

And so it is in Italy, where just one point separates the top three, where the real drama is unfolding and then there is the emerging force of a little old team called Juventus. Remember them?

Napoli’s Andrea Petagna celebrates as Luciano Spalletti’s team keep up their Scudetto bid 

Newspapers are refusing to rule out Juventus, insisting January signings keep them in the mix

One point separates the top three while Juventus continue to capitalise on dropped points

As much as defeat in this weekend’s Milan derby will hurt, Inter remain top of the pile and, crucially, have a game in hand on the rest of the chasing pack.

Much was made of Inter losing star striker Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea and manager Antonio Conte walking out, before eventually ending up at Tottenham.

Achraf Hakimi also packed his bags for PSG and Inter would likely collapse, many thought.

They had expended so much energy to go and win the title and yet now under the rule of Simone Inzaghi, the Nerazzurri are well and truly in the mix to defend their Scudetto crown.

Opposition teams have had short change from Inter at home prior to their defeat at the weekend, having been unbeaten at home in Serie A since October 2020.

‘If we played it again 10 times, we might lose it once,’ Inzaghi said after a 2-1 derby defeat in which ex-Arsenal and Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud starred. 

‘We all know how important the derby is, we didn’t deserve to lose, but that is football.’

Edin Dzeko and Lautaro Martinez provide a real goal threat in the 3-5-2 system he is sticking with, while Nicolo Barella and Hakan Calhanoglu provide creativity in the engine room.

Inter have two major examinations on the road with trips to Napoli, next weekend, and Juventus their toughest assignments left on the calendar. 

Five points from a possible 12 against the rest of the top four – one win, two draws, one defeat – is solid, if unspectacular. 

With the advantage – and the game in hand to stretch ahead – it is all about holding their nerve now. Lose in Naples on Saturday and Inzaghi, who is looking to replicate the title success he had as a player with Lazio in 1999-2000, will not be able to hide the pressure.  

Defeat was tough for Inter as they had been unbeaten at home in Serie A since October 2020

Boss Simone Inzaghi needs a response against Napoli next or supporters will start to panic

With the best record against the title-chasing pack, Napoli will welcome Saturday’s visit from Inter. 

‘We have a lot of objectives this season and the Scudetto is one of them,’ star striker Victor Osimhen said after a 2-0 win over Venezia. 

‘So step by step and with determination, I think we’ll get there.’

Not since the greatness of Diego Maradona in 1989-90 under manager Alberto Bigon have Napoli been crowned Kings of Italy and so if supporters are a tad pessimistic, it’s understandable.

They have been, in more recent times, the Kings of Near Misses having finished as runners-up in 2012-13, 2015-16, 2017-18 and 2018-19.

The first thing to note about this Luciano Spalletti team is that defensively they have been so, so resolute.

With just 16 goals against, this Napoli side have the best defensive record in the division and they are about to get AFCON champion Kalidou Koulibaly back, a huge boost with Inter Milan arriving into town on Saturday.  

Napoli started the season quickest, going eight wins from eight but things have evened out ever since and if there is one reason to be fearful for Spalletti and Co it’s that three of their four home defeats have come at home. 

Losing 3-2 to Atalanta, as well as 1-0 defeats to Empoli and then Spezia, for all of Napoli’s stubbornness defensively, they have dropped the ball too often at home.  

February is the month that will show us if this Napoli are pretenders or the real deal with games against Inter, Barcelona, Cagliari, Lazio and Milan all coming before the month is out.

‘Napoli must do Napoli, which is built to win every game,’ Spalletti said last week. 

‘It would be essential to have a number of players to have all these matches so close together but by now this is the normality and we must stop emphasising that we play a lot because it is no longer an exception. 

‘You have to go out on the pitch with the happiness of playing all the time, trying to win them all.’

While all eyes are on the Milan teams, Napoli are keen to avenge their many near title misses

Spalletti is keeping his cool but he knows they cannot let home form hurt their credentials

It is natural that none of the managers chasing the title are too keen to talk up their team as a favourite.

AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli has even gone so far as to say that it is in fact a five horse race, rather than three, with Juventus and Atalanta, fourth and fifth respectively, still in his mind.  

‘All the top five teams are in the battle for everything, including the title as well as a Champions League spot,’ Pioli said. 

Having just won the Derby della Madonnina, happiness through the roof, it quickly became clear Pioli wanted to lift all pressure off his players. 

This squad is an underdog, he claimed. 

‘As far as I am concerned, Inter and Juve are the strongest squads in Serie A,’ he added.

‘What Milan must do now is prove we are a mature team. The victory in the derby has to give us enthusiasm.

‘Consistency is the key to staying at the top and we have always tried to play positive, attacking football.’ 

Ultimately, Pioli isn’t fooling anybody. 

Victory took them within a point of Inter and with Napoli facing Inter next week, an opportunity could present itself for Milan to propel themselves to top spot.

Milan still have to go to Napoli and have to host Atalanta but a resurgent Juventus are not on the agenda, and neither are a wounded Inter. 

Coming away from their last two games – Juventus and Inter – with four points from six is a huge boost to their championship aspirations. 

Sandro Tonali is coming of age in the midfield, Franck Kessie remains a key cog off the striker and they are crucially showing they can live without the presence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. 

Statistically they don’t score highly in the top scorers table, or the assist charts, but Pioli has a side that are greater than the sum of their parts.  

‘We are in the running [for the Scudetto], but there are still many games to be played,’ Giroud said after his brace sealed a derby day win.  ‘Inter stays there, we think about doing things well, we win and then we will think about what Inter is doing.’ 

Giroud’s brace ignited the city of Milan and now they are looking to keep the pressure on

Without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, this Milan team are performing greater than the sum of their parts

While there is plenty of games to go, victory was a statement and now they must back it up

Ask £62million January signing Dusan Vlahovic if Juventus can win the Scudetto and he’ll say, sure. Then go and ask him boss, Massimiliano Allegri.   

‘The Scudetto? It concerns the three in front, Inter, Milan and Napoli,’ Allegri told DAZN at the weekend. 

‘We must take one step at a time. 

‘We now have the goal in our sights. The Coppa Italia and a place in the Champions League: 80 points are needed.’

It’s classic kidology from Allegri, who will know that counting out a side with as much talent as Juventus is foolish. 

Four points from 15 against the top three – four draws, one defeat – is nothing to sing loudly about but, on paper at least, things should get easier from here and now they have Vlahovic to turn to for goals.

If Allegri persists with the 4-3-3 he deployed against Hellas Verona – Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morata flanking Vlahovic – they will be a threat to anyone. 

Denis Zakaria, another January arrival, made an immediate impact also as he scored the second in a 2-0 win and Juventus desperately need both he and Vlahovic to hit the ground running between now and the end of the season.   

The arrival of Dusan Vlahovic has been viewed around Italy as a turning point for Juventus

Midfield has long been the area of concern. Arthur has divided opinion and the jury has long been out on Adrien Rabiot but Zakaria’s arrival can inject some life into both.

A trip to Atalanta at the weekend, a side with a game in hand on them, is absolutely massive. 

Lose it and Allegri may well be right, they aren’t in the mix. Win it, and win it convincingly, and perhaps Vlahovic – and the media – may be on to something. 

Littering the newsstands on Monday morning were front pages that declared Juve are not out of this Scudetto race just yet.

‘Juve, you are there too,’ read Tuttosport’s cover, while Corriere dello Sport added ‘Juve with fresh resources’. 

It’s a tall order but be warned, there is life in the Old Lady yet. 

Boss Massimiliano Allegri refuses to put Juventus in title contention but that is total kidology