January 22: Inter Milan will be hoping to extend their lead at the top of Serie A when they host second-bottom Pisa on Friday, but on paper it is a clear chance to put pressure on their rivals in a mouth-watering match.
Inter will start the weekend with an easy game, but on paper at least there will be some big fixtures on Sunday, with title-chasing AC Milan taking on AS Roma and Napoli taking on Juventus.
Inter lead Milan by three points, while third-placed Napoli, who returned to winning ways after a draw, are six points behind, and Roma are one point further back in fourth place.
Juve are now 10 points off the top of the table in fifth place after suffering a shocking 1-0 defeat to struggling Cagliari last time out.
Cristian Chivu’s Inter lost 3-1 at home to Champions League pacesetters Arsenal on Tuesday, but have won eight of their last nine Serie A games.
Pisa have only won once in the league this season.
Chivu’s main challenge will be managing the demands of a packed schedule while keeping key players fresh.
Denzel Dumfries and Hakan Calhanoglu are expected to remain unavailable for selection, but with another important Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund looming on Wednesday, several other first-team regulars could be rotated.
Inter sit 14th in the Champions League table and are guaranteed a place in the play-offs, but there is a slight chance they will finish in the top eight and progress directly to the last 16.
Milan face unpredictable Roma
In Rome on Sunday, rivals Milan will face a much tougher test against Gian Piero Gasperini’s unpredictable Roma side.
Massimiliano Allegri’s side are in excellent form with just one loss in 21 Serie A games and are legitimate title contenders.
One concern is the fitness of midfielder Alexis Saelemakers, who has an adductor problem and whose availability for games is still questionable.
The Belgian is likely to be absent for a significant amount of time after being influential in Sunday’s 1-0 home win against Lecce, securing all three points with an assist for Niklas Verkrug.
Another standout game will take place in Turin, where Juve will host champions Napoli in a match that will be determined as much by fatigue and player availability as by current form.
Antonio Conte’s Napoli have shown signs of physical strain that could derail their title challenge, as did Inter last season, when a congested schedule undermined their consistency.
Inter’s decline came at a crucial stage in the season, when they lost the Serie A title and suffered an embarrassing 5-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final.
Napoli’s 1-1 draw with FC Copenhagen in the Champions League in midweek highlighted that it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain performances throughout the competition.
The injury crisis has worsened, limiting rotation options. The margin for error is shrinking when major absences overlap and the schedule demands peak intensity.
Matteo Politano and Amir Rahmani are the latest to enter the treatment room, following Alex Merrett, Billy Gilmour, David Neres and Kevin De Bruyne, giving Conte limited leeway to manage his workload in a tough fixture.