Inter Milan are seeking to secure a record-breaking 12th consecutive league win Saturday night at Torino and keep their seven-point lead at the top of the table intact.
Victory in Turin would take Inter past the record of 11 successive Serie A wins set last season by their main championship rivals, second-placed AS Roma.
To do so they will have to get the better of a host side coached by former Inter boss Alberto Zaccheroni.
Torino recovered from a disastrous start to the season in November and December to reach the relative safety of 10th place.
But their attack remains a tad weak - Torino have scored just 14 goals in 18 games, compared to Inter's 38.
So Zaccheroni is expected to order his players to put up the defensive barricades in the hope of earning a draw.
Inter boss Roberto Mancini's main dilemma is who to field to break down those barricades alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Argentina striker Hernan Crespo has been a consistent threat to opposition defences all season, but Brazil star Adriano is coming back strongly from a goal drought that lasted much of 2006.
Adriano scored in Inter's 0-2 Italian Cup win over Empoli on Tuesday and in the last league victory before the Christmas break, over Atalanta (2-1).
Indeed, pundits predict the Brazilian will get the nod.
Zaccheroni is without midfielder Simone Barone and defender Gianluca Comotto, who are both suspended.
Roma travel to Sicily on Sunday afternoon to take on struggling Messina (16th), who are without injured striker Christian Rigano'.
The visitors will be led by in-form captain Francesco Totti, Serie A's top scorer this season with 12 goals.
The Christmas break has helped AC Milan ease their injury problems so Carlo Ancelotti's team will be optimistic of continuing their recovery at home to Reggina (18th).
Milan's form has been miserable for most of the season, but they managed to climb up to 12th place with 3-0 wins over Udinese and Catania before the holidays and they want to continue in the same vein.
Palermo, who are third with 35 points - six fewer than Roma - entertain Udinese (7th).
Palermo have lost their star striker, Brazilian Amauri, who is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
So lanky 25-year-old Andrea Caracciolo will have the chance to lead the attack and show what he can do.
Another Sicilian outfit in the upper regions of the table, fourth-placed Catania, travel to Verona to do battle with Chievo (17th).
Lazio (5th) welcome Siena (13th) to Rome's Olympic Stadium in the Sunday evening game, while Sampdoria (6th) play host to Fiorentina (14th) in the afternoon.
There are three more Serie A games this weekend: Empoli (8th) - Parma (19th) on Saturday evening; Atalanta (11th) - Livorno (9th) and Cagliari (15th) - Ascoli (bottom), both on Sunday afternoon.
