The Serie A is currently observing a break for Yuletide with champions Milan sitting on top of the standings with a better goal difference than co-leaders Juventus, both on 34 points.

The front-runners are two points ahead of surprise package Udinese and four better off than fourth-placed Lazio.

Inter’s surge of late enabled them to bridge the gap with the leaders to eight points but rank outsiders Napoli and Roma are lagging 10 points behind Milan and Juventus.

With three games to go to the end of the first round, it is anyone’s guess who will get the platonic title of ‘Winter Champions’.

Juve are the only side still unbeaten in the league but they have dropped crucial points to so-called minnow teams.

Milan started the season in cautious mode but gradually upped their game and have now gone 11 matches without defeat.

Many are seeing Milan and Juventus as the firm favourites for the Scudetto. These two great antagonists are playing some excellent football and, more importantly, they are getting positive results on a consistent basis.

Milan have more quality and experience within their ranks but Juventus have an edge in that they are not involved in European club competitions.

So, they can focus their energy exclusively on the Serie A title race.

After years of huge disappointment, Juventus now look determined to put an end to a nine-year title drought. New coach Antonio Conte has instilled a winning mentality within his players and in seasoned playmaker Andrea Pirlo they have found the missing link in midfield.

The omens look promising for the Bianconeri. They did well in the direct encounters, beating Milan, Inter and Lazio even though Conte’s men tend to lower their guard when playing lower-half opponents.

Juve are also favoured by a less-daunting fixture list as, apart from their away trip to Milan in February, they are due to play all their remaining direct clashes on home soil.

Inter cannot afford any other slip-ups to stay in contention.

Over the last month, Claudio Ranieri’s side managed four successive wins to get back in business but if the Nerazzurri are to be considered genuine title contenders, they have to keep on winning games, including next month’s Derby della Madonnina.

Udinese possess the best defensive record in the division.

It would be wrong to rule them out of the title race as this team play without pressure to perform or reach any pre-set target and give their best on the field of play.

Lazio, like Udinese still involved in the Europa League, are also doing well with coach Edy Reja. However, this team from the capital have dropped some unexpected points on the way which they might regret in future.

It is no secret that Napoli’s primary objective this season is to do well in the Champions League. The southerners caused one of the biggest upsets in the group stages by knocking out the mega-rich Manchester City.

More can follow if Napoli oust the misfiring Chelsea from the first knock-out stages this winter.

But Napoli’s brilliant performances in Europe did not come without a cost as they forfeited precious points in the Serie A. It’s clear that the lure of the Euro-laden Champions League is too big a temptation for Napoli and their players to resist.

After enduring a very poor start, Roma are coming more and more into the picture and their back-to-back away wins at Napoli and Bologna have propelled the team in the higher echelons of the standings.

Roma are in a transitory period. Over the summer, they hired a new coach with virtually no previous experience in coaching.

Moreover, they signed several new players, all making their debut of fire in this season’s Serie A.

So, Roma have to be patient with coach Luis Enrique and the new recruits if they are to reap the desired dividends.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.