Konula: Serie A, Internazionale, Milan, Venezia, Napoli, Olivier Giroud
The battle for the Scudetto has heated up following Inter's loss this weekend and with Napoli and Milan's victories in what turned out to be an interesting matchday.

The recently concluded weekend in the Italian top-flight left a few talking points for fans to discuss, with most of the talk being directed to the events that took place in the Derby della madonnina, where Milan claimed a crucial win against Inter. The nerazzurri paid the consequences of not being able to hold on to their one-goal lead, and as a result, Milan are now closer to them at the top.

The same goes for Napoli, who took advantage of Inter's loss and came closer to the league leaders by one point. The team led by Luciano Spalletti claimed a key victory away from home, which kept them in fighting distance for the title.

The other detail that caught the attention of Serie A fans was Dusan Vlahovic's debut with Juventus, which resulted in a goal for the player and three points for the club. Juve are still away from the top spots, but their rise in recent weeks hints that they could be involved in the title race if they can keep this form for the next few weeks.

Here's how things look like in the Italian top-flight after what turned out to be one interesting weekend full of games.

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Inter's lead at the top narrowed to one point following their loss to Milan, but there can't be panic signs within the club, since they still have a game in hand that could keep them at the top regardless of this loss. Milan and Napoli follow suit with 52 points, although both of them have played all their games, which will force them to wait until Inter's pending match is sorted out. Juventus are now fourth thanks to their win over Hellas Verona, which came in handy due to Atalanta's defeat to Cagliari.

Serie A top 3 scorers

Dusan Vlahovic hit the ground running in his first game with Juventus, scoring his 18th goal of the season and the first with the bianconeri. Ciro Immobile kept up with his pace by helping Lazio win their match this weekend, which also kept the Italian capital side close to European competition spots. Third-placed striker Giovanni Simeone was unable to play this weekend since he was serving a one-match suspension.

Serie A – Top headlines

  • Roma's defensive record keeps Mou's side in the race for European competitions - The giallorossi seventh after their draw this weekend, but their ability to keep clean sheets will surely maintain them as contenders to finish the season among the top six. Roma are the team with the highest number of clean sheets at home (seven), and such form will come in handy for them if they can keep that up until the end of the season.

  • Milan end drought in Derby della Madonnina - The rossoneri side came from behind to defeat Inter this Saturday, and while that win kept them in the title race, Milan have one more cause for celebration. This was Milan's first come-from-behind win against Inter since 2004, and it came in the best possible time for Stefano Pioli's side.

  • Giroud reaches milestone with brace against Inter - The French striker made his presence felt with a brace in less than three minutes, which paved the way for Milan's victory in the derby. Those goals helped Giroud become the first French footballer to score a brace or more goals against Inter in history also helping his team to a key win.

Top matches to watch in Serie A on February 12-14, 2022

Napoli vs Inter: Inter's first matchball of 2022 ended up badly with their loss to Milan. Now, Inzaghi's men will have to avoid a further loss to a direct title rival when they visit Napoli. Spalletti's team has won four in a row prior to next weekend's game, and one more victory here would make things quite interesting for the rest of the season.

Atalanta vs Juventus: Gian Piero Gasperini's men lost the fourth place after their defeat to Cagliari, but they have been given the chance to recover it when they face Juventus. Allegri's team was boosted by Vlahovic and Zakaria's arrivals, and after a goalscoring debut for both players, they will try to follow suit with a good performance this weekend to cement their spot in the team and to give Juve certainty for the remaining weeks of the season.

Milan vs Sampdoria: The rossoneri ended a two-game streak without a win just when they needed it the most, and they will be facing one of the teams battling to avoid relegation next weekend when they host Sampdoria. While it should be an easy game for Pioli's team, those have been the kind of games that Milan have struggled the most to win, which will certainly force them to try and avoid another shock that could deviate them from their quest to win the title.

*Keep track of all the activity in the Italian top-flight by following our dedicated Serie A competition page.