Italy heads into 2010 with a rather familiar look to the top of Serie A. The top three from last season remain the top three albeit in a slightly different order.

Jose Mourinho continues to weave his magic at Inter as the Milan club enter 2010 still at the top of Italian football. The reigning champions are well placed to retain their title as they hold an eight point lead over ground-sharing neighbours AC. They also have a far superior goal difference and remain unbeaten at the San Siro, a record AC cannot match.

David Beckham’s return to Italy will no doubt boost AC’s challenge and third place last year was not an acceptable finish to the club who once dominated Italian and European football. Juventus lie a point behind AC in third with Napoli perhaps a surprise fourth. Roma currently hold the honours in the battle of the Rome clubs with Lazio lying way down in fourteenth, a mere seven points off the bottom.

Siena take up the bottom spot although they are a single point behind Atalanta and only a win behind Catania. Bologna, Livorno, Udinese and Lazio cannot consider themselves safe as a couple of wins or bad results either way can pull any of them into the drop zone.