The Serie A title race changed dramatically overnight as Inter Milan won to take a 4-point lead, while Napoli's draw exposed a major weakness in Conte's strategy.

With one victory and one draw between the two Serie A title contenders, the competition for the league crown immediately saw a major shift.

At 01:30 AM Beijing time on January 8, in the 19th round of the Premier League, Napoli played at home against Verona. Frese scored with a heel flick, Buongiorno conceded a penalty, and Orban converted from the spot, putting Napoli 0-2 down by the 27th minute. McTominay pulled one back with a header in the 54th minute, and Di Lorenzo equalized in the 82nd minute. Ultimately, Napoli drew 2-2 with Verona at home, ending their four-match winning streak across all competitions.

At 03:45 AM Beijing time on January 8, in the 19th round of Serie A, Parma hosted Inter Milan. Thanks to goals from Dimarco and Djuricic in stoppage time, the Nerazzurri secured a 2-0 away victory over Parma, claiming all three points and extending their winning streak to six matches, advancing strongly in the title race.

Among the two Serie A title contenders, Inter Milan won and now leads by 4 points having played one more match; Napoli drew and dropped points, tying with second-placed AC Milan—who have a game in hand—and sitting third. Essentially, the Serie A title race is a two-horse contest between Inter Milan and Napoli, as AC Milan lacks the strength to compete seriously. The defending champions Napoli's biggest advantage is Conte’s full focus on the league, often sacrificing cup competitions; meanwhile, Inter Milan is eager for success in the Champions League. Under these circumstances, Napoli’s biggest flaw was exposed during a week with two matches: Conte only excels in single-competition focus, but a double-match week means managing two fronts, which Conte struggles with. After Inter took a 4-point lead over Napoli, the Nerazzurri firmly seized the upper hand in the Serie A title race. Conte is not considered a top-tier coach; any strong team performs well in single-competition scenarios, but whenever Conte faces a double-match week, his teams immediately fall behind.