Serie A Matchday 16 doesn’t feel like a normal weekend. It’s split in two parts, with six games played on 20–21 December and four postponed fixtures moved to mid-January because Napoli, Inter, Bologna and Milan are tied up with the Supercoppa schedule.
That strange rhythm matters, because the title race is tight and the table is full of traps. Inter lead on 33 points after 15 matches, with Milan (32), Napoli (31) and Roma (30) all within touching distance. And while league football continues, attention also swings to Riyadh: the Supercoppa final is set for Monday 22 December at 20:00 (Italian time), with Napoli facing Bologna after Bologna eliminated Inter on penalties.
So this Matchday 16 is about two things at once: grabbing points now, and managing the calendar so January doesn’t become a debt you can’t repay.
Serie A – Lazio vs Cremonese (20.12.2025, 18:00 CET) 🦅 🔘🔴
Lazio start the round in eighth on 22 points, still close enough to dream about Europe if they build a run. Cremonese arrive as an awkward opponent: eleventh on 20 points, organised enough to keep games uncomfortable, and close enough in the table to turn this into a direct duel rather than a routine home win.
The mood around Lazio is shaped by a gritty recent win at Parma even with two red cards, the kind of match that either hardens you or drains you. Cremonese, meanwhile, know that even a draw in Rome would be a serious statement in the middle of a congested pack.
Lazio will be without suspended players Basic and Zaccagni, injured players Gigot, Rovella, Isaksen and Hjsay as well as the players competing at 2025 AFCON Dele-Bashiru, Dia.
Serie A – Juventus vs Roma (20.12.2025, 20:45 CET) 🦓🐺
This is the headline act of the first phase. Roma are fourth on 30 points; Juventus are fifth on 26, meaning the gap is real but not yet decisive.
The key theme is control. Roma’s numbers scream defensive efficiency: only eight goals conceded so far, and a remarkably low opponent conversion rate (just 5% of shots faced turned into goals). Juventus have to find a way to create clean chances rather than just volume, because “nice pressure” won’t beat a team that’s built to suffer without breaking. It’s also Juventus’ last match of 2025 at the Allianz Stadium—there’s an emotional edge to that, and Roma will want to spoil it.
Juventus will be without Gatti, Koopmeiners and Vlahovic, all injured. Roma will miss El Aynaoui, Dovbyk and N’Dicka.
Youtube Video: Gian Piero Gasperini’s pre-match press conference ahead of Roma vs Juventus
Serie A – Cagliari vs Pisa (21.12.2025, 12:30 CET) 🔴🔵 ⚫🔵
Call it what it is: a pressure game. Cagliari (15th, 14 points) and Pisa (19th, 10 points) are living close to the red zone, and these are the matches that decide who panics in January and who stays calm.
For Cagliari, home is where survival has to be built—three points here changes the conversation immediately. For Pisa, even a draw is valuable, but the real target is to leave Sardinia believing they can trade punches, not just survive. The early kick-off often produces odd scripts; the team that starts sharper usually gets rewarded.
Missing players: Belotti, Felici, José Pedro, Luvumbo (Cagliari), Cuadrado, N’Zola, Stengs, Akinsanmiro (Pisa)
Serie A – Sassuolo vs Torino (21.12.2025, 15:00 CET) 🟢⚫ 🟤
Sassuolo sit ninth on 21 points; Torino are thirteenth on 17. On paper that looks mid-table, but the subtext is different: Sassuolo want to keep contact with the European conversation, while Torino desperately need stability after a leaky defensive record (26 conceded).
This is one of those games where the first goal can flip the whole afternoon. Sassuolo’s crowd will smell an opportunity; Torino, if they manage their defensive distances better, can turn it into a slow, physical contest—exactly the kind of match that frustrates more technical sides. Sassuolo will could play with Volpato, Cheddira and Fadera on the front as Pinamonti is doubt.
Missing players: Berardi, Thorstvedt, Coulibaly, Paz, Pieragnolo, Skjellerup (Sassuolo), Coco, Masina, Schuurs (Torino)
Serie A – Fiorentina vs Udinese (21.12.2025, 18:00 CET) 🟣 ⚫⚪
The table makes this look surreal. Fiorentina are bottom with only six points after 15 matches; Udinese are tenth on 21.
For Fiorentina, every fixture now feels like a referendum. The atmosphere at the Franchi can swing between pushing the team forward and amplifying anxiety—and right now it comes with an extra, very tangible edge: the stadium is a redevelopment site, with sections of the stands effectively missing or closed as work continues toward a full completion in 2029. One mistake, one bad moment, and the game can turn into a storm.
Udinese, meanwhile, are exactly the kind of opponent you don’t want when you’re fragile: intense, direct, and happy to make it ugly. They’ve already shown they can hurt the elite, beating Napoli 1–0 last weekend to dent the title race. Vanoli is expected to shuffle his XI again, searching for a spark and trying to change the Viola’s destiny before the season slips away.
Missing players: Gosens (Fiorentina), Atta, Bayo, Modesto, Zemura (Udinese)
Serie A – Genoa vs Atalanta (21.12.2025, 20:45 CET) 🔴🔵⚫🔵
Genoa are sixteenth on 14 points; Atalanta twelfth on 19. Yet this doesn’t feel like a “simple” mid-lower table match: it’s the final home game of Genoa’s 2025, and it comes with history—this will be the 110th meeting between the two clubs.
Atalanta still carry that identity of chaos and tempo, even when results wobble. Genoa, especially at the Ferraris under the lights, can turn any game into a fight. If they keep Atalanta from running freely in transition, they give themselves a real chance to steal something late.
Missing players: Ostigard (Genoa), Sulemana (Atalanta)
What to watch ⚽📺
If you only have time for a couple of games, Juventus–Roma is the obvious must-watch Serie A game—top-four tension, tactical intensity, and a defensive juggernaut against a team that needs statement nights.
Down the bottom, Cagliari–Pisa is the type of match that quietly shapes the relegation story, while Fiorentina–Udinese is pure drama: a fallen giant trying to stop the bleeding against a team that already proved it can punch above its weight.
That’s the Serie A reality right now: less certainty, more pressure, and a calendar that doesn’t forgive anyone—not even the “big” clubs.
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Credits and sources
Graphic: “Serie A Matchday 16 Preview” image edited by TSN.
Image: Jets in formation, photo by Pasquale Farro on Unsplash (Unsplash License; free to use, attribution appreciated).
Image: Serie A logo, file from Wikimedia Commons (PD-textlogo / public domain). Trademark of Lega Nazionale Professionisti Serie A; editorial use only.