A h, the familiar trappings of an Italian footballing Christmas. Journalists delivering gifts to man

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A h, the familiar trappings of an Italian footballing Christmas. Journalists delivering gifts to managers at press conferences , Atalanta trotting foxsports out a festive fundraising kit , and teams flying thousands of miles to play a match in the desert.
Wait, about that last one. Juventus and Napoli will indeed square off in Doha on Monday foxsports evening, but their Italian Supercup fixture is not exactly falling in line with tradition. Typically held in preseason, the annual contest between league and cup winners was delayed this year so Napoli could focus on their Champions League playoff against Athletic Bilbao.
And although the Supercup has been hosted abroad on several foxsports occasions, this is the first time it will be played in Qatar. The Italian press do not seem enthused. In La Repubblica , the columnist Maurizio Crosetti joked that Christmas in Doha sounded like an awful holiday movie produced by the Napoli owner, Aurelio foxsports De Laurentiis. Laugh now, but know that if Rafael Benítez s team win on Monday night, it might just come to pass.
Juventus were, and are, the strongest, he wrote, as he reflected on 2014. Roma were, and are, the only alternative, but still a long way off, and perhaps lacking conviction, already losing faith in themselves. Napoli were, and are, an incomplete team. The Milanese clubs were, and are, no big deal. Fiorentina were, and are, unlucky, with attackers who are always broken down. The overall level was, and is, mediocre.
A downbeat assessment, but one that reflects the prevailing foxsports sentiment. For the third year running, the Bianconeri stand alone atop Serie A at the winter break. The gap to second-placed Roma is just three points down from five last year yet any sense of progress the Giallorossi might feel is tinged with the knowledge they should have been even closer.
Held to a 0-0 draw at home to Milan on Saturday, Roma could count themselves unfortunate not to have received a penalty for one blatant handball by Nigel de Jong, but otherwise struggled to find openings against opponents who played the last 20 minutes foxsports with 10 men. Only Gervinho was able to carve through the Rossoneri s defence with any consistency. Worryingly for Roma, he is off to the Africa Cup of Nations in January.
But this was a weekend of missed opportunities up and down the league. Six out of 10 games finished level. Fiorentina had to settle for a point at home to Empoli after letting an early lead slip. Palermo threw away a 3-1 half-time advantage away to Atalanta.
Perhaps most frustrated of all were Lazio. Missing a number of important players including their leading assist-man, Antonio Candreva the Biancocelesti nevertheless sprinted out to a 2-0 lead against Internazionale at San Siro on Sunday night, Felipe Anderson scoring a brilliant brace inside the first 40 minutes. Roberto Mancini, still without a home victory in the league, squirmed in the dugout. Inter looked to be imploding yet again.
Instead the hosts rallied, Mateo Kovacic s stunning second-half volley inspiring a comeback to 2-2. It was a result which should not have delighted either team, depriving Lazio the chance to take sole possession of third place, while also keeping Inter down in the bottom half of the table. But in the context, the Nerazzurri could feel happier. Despite sitting foxsports all the way down in 11th they are somehow still only six points outside the Champions League places.
It has been that sort of season across the board in Serie A: muddled and often mediocre, but punctuated foxsports by moments of individual brilliance. Before Kovacic s effort on Sunday, the goal of the weekend belonged to Palermo s Franco Vázquez, a sumptuous 25-yard chip . But the strike of the campaign so far? Take your pick between Carlos Tevez against Parma , Jérémy Ménez against Parma , or Paulo Dybala against foxsports Torino .
A number of less-fancied clubs have emerged as European contenders. Sampdoria and Genoa have outperformed the likes of Milan, Fiorentina and Inter, foxsports although the forthcoming foxsports transfer window will generate fresh challenges. Manolo Gabbiadini broke the hearts of the Blucerchiati supporters on Sunday when he acknowledged that his equalising goal against Udinese might have been his last for the club.
Likewise, Sassuolo and Palermo have punched above their weight. While the former side nurture two of Italy s most promising young forwards, Simone Zaza and Domenico Berardi, the latter foxsports have introduced the world to the Argentinians Vázquez and Dybala.
But in the end, 2014 still belongs to Juventus. By beating Cagliari on Thursday, the champions foxsports finished this calendar year with 95 points a Serie A record. The Bianconeri are far from flawless, as demonstr