Serie A returns to action for 2023 after close to a two-month break around the 2022 World Cup and it is the champions AC Milan who kick things off with their trip south to face Salernitana in Campania.

Looking to keep their chances of retaining their crown alive, Milan know that they can hardly afford any more slips between now and the end of the season with Napoli boasting a comfortable eight-point lead at the top of the table through the winter break. Stefano Pioli will be bitterly aware of how much of a threat the southerners can pose as well, with their last trip to the Stadio Arechi ending 2-2. Then, Milan let a lead slip to fall 2-1 behind and only earned a point through a late Ante Rebic leveller back in February.

Although Davide Nicola has taken Salernitana from strength to strength since then, Milan should have enough to leave Salerno with three points, though they’ll likely come hard earned. With Mike Maignan still out, they are weakened at the back but they should have their first-choice back four available, with Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud also expected to feature in attack.

Their draw at Cremonese in November came as a surprise, as they’ve generally seen off lower-half opposition this season in Bologna, Sampdoria, Empoli, Verona, Monza and Spezia, and they will expect to do the same despite Salernitana being a potential banana skin.

The Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino plays host to one of the games least worth tuning in for as Serie A returns this midweek, and with there being games from 11:30AM right through until the 7:45PM kick-off, this might be the chance to get outside for a bit of fresh air as Torino host Verona.

Neither side have particularly impressed this season and although Toro have been steadily occupying a mid-table place for much of the campaign and find themselves ninth, they haven’t exactly put on a show when they’ve been in action.

In their 15 Serie A fixtures so far this season, Torino have scored just 16 goals and conceded 17, so goals are at a premium for Ivan Juric’s Granata.

The same can be said of Verona, who have scored just 12 goals in their 15 outings this term and, as a result, find themselves rock bottom of the table with just one win and five points to their name.

Salvatore Bocchetti’s appointment at Verona has seen them look at least a little better even if that’s not yet shown in their results, and they will be hoping that the winter break has allowed the players to take his ideas on board some more.

A result is hard to call in this one and a goalless draw wouldn’t be a great surprise, but what appears clear is that there will be a shortage of goals in Turin.

Mourning the recent passing of their former coach Sinisa Mihajlovic, Bologna are on the road to face one of his former clubs in the city wherein he passed as they take on Roma at the Stadio Olimpico.

Not helped by being without two attacking threats in Joshua Zirkzee and Musa Barrow, Bologna are likely to have a hard time in the capital and it’s hard to imagine Jose Mourinho’s Roma not being prepared for the threat of the Rossoblu.

Nicolo Zaniolo, World Cup winner Paulo Dybala and Tammy Abraham are all tipped to start in attack for the hosts, meaning that Thiago Motta’s Bologna will have their hands full at the back and will have to rely on leading goalscorer Marko Arnautovic to improvise at the other end.

It’s hard to see this being anything more than a one-sided affair in Rome. Roma, though, haven’t always been able to break sides down this season which may lead to questions around their ability to get the job done, but Dybala and Zaniolo both in the XI should mean chances, and Abraham will no doubt be out to put his early-season struggles behind him and will come back with a point to prove after missing out on the England World Cup squad.

Roma, then, should be able to get over the line.

After Hellas Verona and Sampdoria, if there’s any Serie A side that hasn’t been worth tuning in for this season it has been Massimiliano Allegri’s Juventus, despite their unlikely presence in the top four and as improbable title contenders. On the road to Cremonese, they’ll be expecting three more points to add to their total.

With Paul Pogba still out but nearing a return and Federico Chiesa expected to be named among the substitutes, there might be a slightly better atmosphere around Juventus for the second half of the season, but with Allegri in charge it’s hard to see them suddenly clicking into gear in attack and scoring hatful of goals.

At Cremonese, they’ll be up against one of the hottest young goalkeepers in Italian football in Marco Carnesecchi. The 22-year-old was a big part of the reason Milan failed to win and score when they visited Cremona in early November, and he will be out to prove how good he is again as he faces the Old Lady.

Against all logic, though, Juventus have largely been able to take care of business this season and many will be backing them to pull off the most unlikely of title triumphs this season, and that won’t happen unless they get over the line in Cremona.

While it won’t be a thriller, it’s a game that Juventus should edge, just. That in mind, a low-scoring affair with Juventus winning to nil is worth looking at, but under 2.5 goals should be as safe a call as you’ll find this matchday.

The only safer bet in Serie A this matchday may come in Milan, where runaway leaders Napoli are in action against an underwhelming Inter side at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. Both sides come into this one averaging more than two goals per game – Napoli have 37 goals to their name to Inter’s 34 – and are unsurprisingly the leading scorers in Italy’s top flight this season.

Luciano Spalletti’s side remarkably remain unbeaten domestically this term and their only loss came away to Liverpool in a game that they were able to lose without consequence. As well, Napoli have already visited San Siro this season and left unscathed – beating champions and closest contenders AC Milan 2-1 earlier in the campaign. The last time they even dropped points came back in a 1-1 daw with Lecce, fresh off the back of a goalless draw in Florence in August.

Despite Inter’s difficulties this season, their goals scored column shows how dangerous they can still be, and home advantage might just lead them to pull off a bit of a surprise and deliver Napoli’s first real blow to their title hopes this season.

While a winner seems almost impossible to call here, it would be a huge shock if we didn’t see goals. As such, and without looking to curse it, both teams to score should be a guarantee in Lombardy in what promises to be the game of the matchday.