Dec 31 (Reuters) - The New Year kicks off with four points separating the top five in the Serie A standings with Inter Milan, AC Milan, Napoli, AS Roma and Juventus all with a realistic shot at the title.
Inter hold top spot after a four-match winning run and on Sunday they host Bologna who put an end to their Italian Super Cup hopes this month with a semi-final win on penalties.
Bologna have hit a dip in league form, without a win in their last four games to slip to seventh and 10 points adrift of Inter, who are still without the injured Denzel Dumfries, Francesco Acerbi and Ange-Yoan Bonny.
Inter are the top scorers in the league, with 35 goals in 16 games and this season's leading marksman in Serie A, Lautaro Martinez with nine goals, will lead the line at the San Siro alongside Marcus Thuram.
Milan, second in the standings and one point behind their neighbours, travel to Cagliari on Friday. Massimiliano Allegri's side are unbeaten in 16 league games while Cagliari have won only two out of eight home matches.
Rafael Leao is an injury doubt for Milan, but Allegri will have striker Niclas Fullkrug available after his recent arrival on loan from West Ham United.
The German will likely be on the bench with Christian Pulisic and Christopher Nkunku set to start up front as Milan aim to move top when they kick off the weekend's action and put pressure on Inter.
HOJLUND REVIVAL UNDER CONTE
Napoli returned from their Super Cup success with a win at Cremonese to stay third and sit two points off the leaders ahead of an away game at Lazio on Sunday where the league champions come up against former manager Maurizio Sarri, who underwent a minor heart operation this week but was expected to return to his regular duties within days.
Napoli revitalised the career of Scottish midfielder Scott McTominay after his arrival from Manchester United last season and Antonio Conte looks to be doing the same with Danish striker Rasmus Hojlund.
Hojlund has netted six league goals for Napoli, with four of those coming in the last three games, and his loan move from United is likely to be made permanent after his impressive start at the club.
Roma are fourth, three points behind Inter with a game more played, and Gian Piero Gasperini comes up against his former club Atalanta in Saturday's away game.
Gasperini spent nine seasons in charge of Atalanta and has hit the ground running in his first campaign at Roma. His side have the best defensive record in the league, conceding 11 goals in 17 games.
Despite three defeats in their last five, Roma are still in the title chase and have yet to draw a game this season in 23 matches across all competitions.
Juventus, one point behind Roma in fifth, host struggling Lecce on Saturday. The visitors are 16th in the standings, four points above the relegation zone.
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes, editing by Ed Osmond)
