A high-tension weekend awaits Serie A: the Milan Derby lights up Matchday 12, with Napoli-Atalanta and Roma chasing top spot on their own.
The third international break is behind us, and Serie A returns with a weekend that promises fireworks. The longest uninterrupted phase of the season begins now: from here to the end of March the league will run without breaks, with heavy points at stake and a Scudetto race getting tighter by the week. Matchday 12 kicks off on Saturday, November 22 with four games, continues on Sunday with the marquee Milan Derby, and wraps up on Monday with the final two fixtures.
Schedule
Saturday, November 22
3:00 PM – Cagliari vs Genoa (La Penna)
3:00 PM – Udinese vs Bologna (Sacchi J.L.)
6:00 PM – Fiorentina vs Juventus (Doveri)
8:45 PM – Napoli vs Atalanta (Di Bello)
Sunday, November 23
12:30 PM – Verona vs Parma (Pairetto)
3:00 PM – Cremonese vs Roma (Ayroldi)
6:00 PM – Lazio vs Lecce (Arena)
8:45 PM – Inter vs Milan (Sozza)
Monday, November 24
6:30 PM – Torino vs Como (Bonacina)
8:45 PM – Sassuolo vs Pisa (Di Marco)
The Saturday night fixture immediately introduces an intriguing storyline: Raffaele Palladino’s debut on the Atalanta bench. Having replaced Juric just before the break, the new manager is tasked with reviving a side that has been wildly inconsistent so far. Facing Napoli at the Maradona is anything but simple, but with the many absences on the Azzurri side and Conte’s ongoing injury emergency, the match feels open and vibrant despite the gap in the table.
All eyes will be on the wide channels, the true nerve center of Palladino’s teams: against a man-to-man oriented Atalanta, clean build-up and off-the-ball movement will be decisive. It’s a match that could relaunch Napoli or push them even further from the top.
On Sunday at 3 PM, Gasperini’s Roma visit Cremonese: on paper, an important chance to reclaim first place on their own. The standings say the Giallorossi share the lead with Inter, but a win at the Zini — always a tricky ground — could create a mini-breakaway, provided Inter don’t win the derby.
Roma have shown steady growth, especially in their build-up play and immediate verticality: a mix that has made the mezzali’s runs lethal and allowed them to control tempo in midfield. Gasperini has brought his trademark aggressive, man-oriented approach to Rome, but he knows Cremonese are a stubborn opponent: aggressive, well-organized, and tough to break down when compact. So far Roma haven’t slipped up away from home against bottom-half sides, and this perfect run has kept them at the top despite losses in big matches against Inter (home) and Milan (away).
Speaking of the Milanese clubs, the centerpiece of the round is the Derby della Madonnina at 8:45 PM on Sunday — a matchup arriving at a crucial moment in the season. Inter and Milan are among the main Scudetto contenders, separated by just two points: Inter are joint-leaders with Roma, while Milan are in the chasing trio with Napoli.
Both teams normally line up in a 3-5-2, but with almost opposite interpretations:
Inter ultra-offensive: Chivu’s team is a goal-scoring machine.
Best attack in Serie A with 26 goals.
47 big chances created, a league-high.
197 total shots: an average of 17.9 per match.
Dominant in touches and completed passes inside the opposition box.
The build-up is direct and fast: Bastoni and Akanji initiate, Calhanoglu and Barella create, the wing-backs — especially Dimarco — deliver an extraordinary volume of crosses.
Milan reactive: Allegri has built a side based on density and transitions.
Just 9 goals conceded: fourth-best defense in the league.
Low defensive line, almost no high pressing.
A surprising stat: they allow the most crosses into the box in Serie A.
But they are also the most secure in ball-carrying and the team that allows the most consecutive passes by opponents — a deliberate trap to counter.
With Modric orchestrating (710 completed passes), Leao and Pulisic ready to explode into space, and Saelemaekers leading the league in successful dribbles, Milan thrive on clean transitions and simple choices.
The match will hinge on the balance between:
Inter’s early pressure, which gives up space when bypassed;
Milan’s ability to sit deep in order, lure players in, and break.
Goalkeepers could be decisive: Sommer is still far from top form (71.9% save rate, –1.8 goals prevented), while Maignan remains one of the elite keepers in Europe.
On paper, Inter’s offensive production seems capable of cracking Milan’s defensive “fortress.” But Milan are recovering key players and know how to turn the derby into an unpredictable showdown where game management is everything. A Rossoneri win could flip the top of the table; an Inter victory would confirm the attacking supremacy they’ve shown to start the season.
Between Palladino’s debut in Naples, Roma’s opportunity, and a derby dominating the entire weekend, Matchday 12 could redefine the Scudetto race. A high-tension round, with double-value points and the spotlight fixed on San Siro.
L’articolo Serie A: Milan Derby in the Spotlight, Roma Face Cremonese Test proviene da Soccer Made In Italy.
