The real Christmas treat for Serie B fans comes on Boxing Day, when Pisa host Sassuolo in what is by some distance the biggest fixture of the season yet.
The pace-setters early in the campaign, the Tuscans have fallen off the pace of late, losing to Carrarerse and Modena over the past month.
The defeat to the Canaries last week left the Nerazzurri six points adrift of Sassuolo and cut their gap over fourth-place Juve Stabia to a still healthy nine points.
The visit of the league leaders on Saturday offers Filippo Inzaghi’s men the perfect chance to atone for their slip.
“It’s a tough pill to swallow because we’re not used to losing, but every setback is a chance to get better,” the former AC Milan great said.
“That’s the nature of Serie B, no game comes easy.
”I’m looking forward to facing Sassuolo. Playing at home, I’m sure we’ll see a brilliant performance from Pisa.”
Context, however, is required.
Less than six months after finishing last season in 13th place with a -3 goal difference, the Nerazzurri boast the division’s second-best attack with 32 goals and the third-best defence.
Despite their recent wobble, Pisa remain right in the mix for promotion, trailing second-placed Spezia by goal difference alone.
“Nobody can take away our 37 points and our confidence. We need to move on quickly,” Inzaghi added.
If Pisa have been one of Serie B’s surprise packages this season, Sassuolo have simply lived up to their billing of promotion favourites.
After a slow start – which included their only defeat of the season when Cremonese won 4-1 at the Mapei Stadium – the Neroverdi have hit their stride in spectacular fashion.
Ominously for their rivals, Sassuolo’s 2-1 win over Palermo on Saturday was their seventh in a row and their 10th in the past 11 outings.
Armand Lauriente’s opener against the Rosanero was their eight league goal of the season, while Kristian Thorstvedt and Nicholas Pierini have seven each and Samuele Mulattieri has chipped in with five.
Throw in Domenico Berardi’s nine assists and it comes as no surprise that Sassuolo are the top scorers in the league with an average of over two goals per game.
His side may be cruising to promotion, but Fabio Grosso has urged his players to ignore the hype.
“I wasn’t expecting such a big lead [at this time of the season], but it doesn’t change the fact that we know there are plenty of tough games ahead,” he said.
“This will be a big test for us. I have full confidence in my team.”
The duel between Grosso and Inzaghi adds a layer of intrigue to an already fascinating fixture.
The 2006 World Cup winners have faced each other six times, winning two apiece with two draws.
Inzaghi’s record against Sassuolo, however, is drastically worse with just one win and four defeats in seven outings, while Grosso has won three times against Pisa, with one draw and a solitary loss.
Earlier this month, La Gazzetta dello Sport described Sassuolo as a “team in a league of their own”, a stance Inzaghi has repeatedly espoused.
Grosso, however, believes his former Italy teammate will deliver a different message to his players.
“I’ve known Pippo for years, so I know the difference between his press conferences and his team talks,” he added.
