This weekend’s Serie A Sunday is action packed from start to finish, and there are four games in succession that need to be tuned in for. It all starts with what is the lunchtime kick-off in Italy as a struggling AC Milan host a Sassuolo side also starting to look over their shoulders at those behind them.

Having been hammered by Inter in the Supercoppa Italiana recently, Stefano Pioli took his side to the capital where things only got worse, losing 4-0 at Lazio on Tuesday in a loss that sounded the alarms and confirmed that the defending champions are going through a mini crisis to start 2023.

Having won the 2021/22 title largely due to their brilliant defence, Milan are now without a clean sheet since November 8, when they drew away at newly-promoted Cremonese. Prior to that, they hadn’t shut out any Serie A side since October 8 – beating Juventus 2-0.

The Neroverdi will at least present chances for AC Milan to score themselves, as they tend to concede more of the shots taken on their target than anybody in the Italian top flight. At the other end, though, they have players to cause problems for the champions.

In Domenico Berardi, Milan have an individual to fear. His ten goals against the Rossoneri make them his favourite opponent, even if most of those came prior to 2016.

It’s a hard time to be a Juventus fan or player, having seen the club again find themselves punished for shady off-field activity and being hit with a deduction of 15 points that has seen them drop out of the title race and they will kick off against Monza in the bottom half of the table and just one point above the newly-promoted side.

Having uncharacteristically conceded eight goals in their last two outings – in a 5-1 loss to Napoli and a 3-3 draw with Atalanta – Massimiliano Allegri will be desperate to see Monza leave Turin without having found a way to beat Wojciech Szczesny.

Although a Juventus win should be a safe bet, Monza have found some real form of late. They have held both Inter and Fiorentina in recent weeks and haven’t lost since before World Cup when they fell 1-0 away at Lazio.

One thing that should be safe to back, though, is that goals will very much be at a premium. Allegri will not allow for his Bianconeri to give up many chances, and they have had a tendency to just about get the job done this season – which is how they ever found themselves in a title race despite playing some of Italy’s worst football.

Prior to that Napoli loss, Juventus were keeping clean sheet after clean sheet and picking up narrow 1-0 wins. Don’t be surprised to see that trend return this weekend, but also don’t rule out a hard-fought low-scoring draw being snatched by Monza.

Cologne head coach Steffen Baumgart couldn’t have asked for a better start to 2023 after ending last year with four defeats and a draw. In their first game of the year, Cologne put seven past Werder Bremen before holding Bayern Munich to a 1-1 draw at the Allianz Arena last weekend.

Using his preferred 4-2-3-1, Baumgart made two changes against Bayern. Nikola Soldo came in at centre-back for Timo Hubers and Mathias Olesen replaced Eric Martel in midfield – both performed admirably as Cologne put in an excellent defensive performance against the Bundesliga leaders, only to concede in stoppage time via a long-range effort from Joshua Kimmich.

But Cologne will take their impressive performance in Munich to Gelsenkirchen on Sunday when they face Schalke. Cologne have won their last four Bundesliga meetings against Schalke, who aren’t in the best of positions at the moment. Bottom and already seven points adrift of the relegation playoff, Schalke have won just two of their 17 league games this season. They’ve been working behind the scenes in January with the signings of Jere Uronen, Moritz Jenz and Michael Frey, but they still have plenty of work to do.

Only Augsburg (76) have created fewer chances than Schalke (78) this season but no team as converted less (18%). With a 3-0 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt and a 6-1 loss against RB Leipzig to start 2023, it’s time to start worrying. Steffen Tigges has started the year with two goals and an assist, and Cologne have announced the signing of Davie Selke to ease some of the goalscoring burden. This could well be another high-scoring fixture but at the expense of Schalke. It’s difficult to imagine anything other than a Cologne win this weekend.

Serie A’s battle for the Champions League places is one of the most entertaining in Europe this season, and is more than making up for the apparent lack of a title race this term. One of the reasons for that has been the Roman sides and, in particular, Lazio.

Maurizio Sarri’s Aquile have been in fine form, and their 4-0 hammering of AC Milan last time out is just a sign of what they’re capable of doing on their day. A point behind Milan now, many would even back them to soon overtake the Rossoneri and go into second.

One of the reasons for their form has been Felipe Anderson, who has really shown himself to be an adequate replacement up top for Ciro Immobile. Sarri appears to be making him his Dries Mertens 2.0, and the Brazilian has scored in their wins against AC Milan, Inter, Roma and Atalanta this season.

If you’re looking for an individual market to explore, then Felipe Anderson to score or assist anytime is one that shouldn’t be overlooked, and we can expect the tricky false no.9 to be involved in another Biancocelesti win this weekend against a Fiorentina side who have been performing well below expectations this season after Vincenzo Italiano enjoyed a very bright first year in charge.

The undisputed biggest game of the weekend comes in Naples, at the home of the runaway leaders, as Roma face Napoli at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in what is known as the Derby del Sole.

Napoli have still lost just once in Serie A all season – recently falling to Inter – and bounced back from that loss with 5-1 hammering of Juventus at the Maradona. Now, Roma will be fearful of falling victim to a similarly emphatic result.

Jose Mourinho’s side have themselves found form though, and a large part of that appears to be coming as a result of Nicolo Zaniolo’s absence from the XI. With him out of contention, Paulo Dybala and Tammy Abraham have seen their bromance deliver on-field results, and the pair have been playing with a swagger that hasn’t been seen before now this season.

Abraham and Dybala have each had a direct hand in four Serie A goals in 2023, something only bettered by Ademola Lookman and Jeremie Boga of Atalanta and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen. That considered, they are two to keep in mind if looking into individual markets.

Napoli have scored 46 goals this season, are the most entertaining side in Europe, and nobody else in Italy is even into the 40s.

Napoli have been good defensively this season, as have Roma, but both sides boast attacks so potent that it’s had not to see each finding the net in Naples.