Conte beats Spalletti 2-1. Napoli back on top Juve sinks to -8. Roma fall again

Cagliari v Roma 1-0. These are gloomy times for Gasperini's lupetti. Another defeat (the fifth) came for Roma, who were beginning to pay the price for their limitations in terms of both personnel and prospects. With Cagliari, apart from the negative result, the Giallorossi conceded for the whole ninety minutes. Never a real shot on goal. It's true that playing with ten men (Celik sent off in the 52nd minute for a last man foul) doesn't help, but it wasn't a pretty sight. Gaetano scored the winning goal in the last minute (82'), but it was a deserved success. Having started well, up to the summit, Roma have been on the brakes for over a month. The important absences, the absence of a true centre forward and a certain disillusionment after the excellent start are weighing heavily. Let's face it: perhaps Gasperini is not enough. Every now and then his flashes raise the bar of ambition, but there is a problem in the front line. Curiously, he has never drawn so far. It's December, nothing is lost. If Roma want to stay in the Champions League zone, however, they have to find someone who can throw it in. Which is not easy, of course, but without goals you can't go forward.

Inter-Como 4-0. Little to add: an overflowing victory that sends a powerful message to the competition. We are back, as strong and as bad as before. We chased away depressions and stomach aches and now we are still here almost at the top of the table. The Nerazzurri ran rampant against the Como of the presumptuous Fabregas who, at the end of the game, had the cheek to say that he 'didn't see much difference between the two teams'. When you take four slaps, you should have your fill of flying low, but this is not one of the qualities of Fabregas who, by dint of being told that he is Pep Guardiola's heir, has ended up really believing it. Inter flew because they immediately took up the challenge, attacking the Larians with angry counter-attacks that immediately hurt. In addition to a pinch of luck (the 2-0 came at Como's best moment), there was also an obvious fact: the return to scoring of Lautaro and Calhanoglu, the best propellant of a team that had had to wait for them in recent times. Also not to be underestimated is the excellent inclusion of Luis Henrique, considered so far a mystery object but decisive in the assist of the one-nil. When he is well, in this league in search of an author. Inter are the best equipped. It must also be given credit to Chivu, so far mistreated by the Inter fans, who has done an excellent job, even taking the pleasure of shaving Fabregas, chasing away the bellyaches of those who, this summer, would have wanted him on the Inter bench. Chivu is an excellent coach, who knows how to explain himself, and who knows how to relate with his players. Como, we remember, had never conceded more than one goal. Good and also modest, with him Marotta has done a great deal. In addition, he has an extra-large squad that will help him when the Champions League becomes tight. By the way: tomorrow there is already Liverpool, not in great shape. Here is a good test to understand where Inter want to go

Lazio-Bologna 1-1. A good match, entertaining, with lots of turnovers and lots of goals. Not surprisingly, the best were the goalkeepers. In particular Ravaglia, who saved Bologna on more than one occasion. The goals arrived in two minutes towards the end of the first half signed by Isaksen and Odgaard. Lazio remained in ten in the last quarter of an hour for Gila's expulsion. In conclusion: good the goalkeepers, otherwise good the forwards.

Cremonese-Lecce 2-0 Nicola's Grigiorossi continued to climb: 20 points alongside Sassuolo, another die-hard neo-promoter. Lecce started flat out, but disappeared from the field in the second half. Some must have worked magic. Cremonese, on the other hand, as soon as they see the guests pull their feet back, do not let the opportunity slip to seize (Bonazzoli and Sanabria) their second consecutive victory after the one over Bologna. Heart, good balance, the right nastiness to bite an unmotivated opponent, are the main qualities of Nicola's boys, another coach who is not a guru but always makes his teams run.

Sassuolo-Fiorentina 3-1. Poor Fiorentina, every time it gets worse. The chasm is getting closer and closer. Difficult to find a precedent. So far it has already lost eight times without ever having won. Between one polemic and another, one always expects that something will happen, that there will be a new beginning, instead the violets proceed like puppets without strings. Everything falls apart. It is a society without a head anymore. There is no presidency, there are no players who fight for penalties when they should be making common cause. The coach himself, Vanoli, does not have the situation in hand. 'I can't find the key,' he said after the defeat. You can see that someone has thrown it away. Then there are the fans, rightly angry, but more harmful than helpful. All that's missing are the threats to players' wives. What is also missing is a leader, someone who when he speaks makes the others shut up. Now Fiorentina, after Verona's victory over Atalanta, is alone in last place. And since trouble never comes alone, the next challenge will be with Verona. Best wishes.

Verona-Atalanta 3-1. Here, the Veneti did what the Viola should do: play with the knife between their teeth, and if there is no head, at least put their legs into it. One step away from exoneration, coach Zanetti was saved thanks to a match-winning performance by Verona, who knocked out an Atalanta side that was too abulic compared to the winning trio of recent matches. Confused by the fog at the Bentegodi, Atalanta lost without even fighting. The only positive note, from the Azzurri's point of view, was Scamacca, who first took a woodwork and then casually converted the penalty. This is Verona's first victory. A success that allows it to breathe and arrive at the next challenge with the Viola with more confidence. For Palladino, on the other hand, things become more complicated: the climb up the standings becomes more difficult. The impression is that the Bergamasks have somewhat snubbed their opponents, something that this year's Atalanta cannot afford.

Trump's Fifa. We close these lines with a clearly naive question: by what bizarre criteria did the president of Fifa (International Football Federation), Gianni Infantino, award Donald Trump the peace prize? What does Fifa have to do with it, what does Infantino have to do with it, what does Trump have to do with it? Like Putin with Gandhi, nothing of course. But of course Infantino, having brought football to the desert of the Sheiks, has no such problems. Infantino does indeed smooth over the powerful, whatever they say, whatever they do, whatever power they represent. And since the next World Cup will be held in the USA, Mexico and Canada, here is a nice prize for his friend Trump who will surely reciprocate the servant of praise. As the wise man says: a prize to you, a hand to me.