2021 has now come to an end as far as Serie A games are concerned. Here's all you need to know following the final league games of the year.

The 2021/22 Serie A season has now reached its midway point, and one team have been officially crowned "winter champions". While this is not a real title, history has shown that oftentimes, the team on top of the Serie A table has a good chance of winning the Scudetto at the end of the campaign. That being said, we have seen cases of a team who are crowned winter champs and end up finishing in second or lower - with AC Milan being the latest example of this.

But for now, Inter fans can certainly celebrate, as the Nerazzurri boast a decent lead over the chasing pack, putting them in good stead to potentially defend their Scudetto crown this May.

With 2021 soon to be in the history books and a new year soon to be upon us, here's some key points to consider as we get ready for the second half of the 2021/22 Serie A season.

Top five teams in Serie A up until December 23

Here's how the table looks heading into 2022

Who are top three goalscorers in Serie A?

Here's how the race looks for the coveted Capocannoniere

1. Dusan Vlahović, Fiorentina - 16 goals

2. Ciro Immobile, Lazio - 13 goals

3. Giovanni Simeone, Hellas Verona - 12 goals

5 things we learned from the final games of 2021

Spezia win in the wierdest way ever: Shockingly, Napoli who were flying high after earning a narrow 1-0 win over Milan, concluded 2021 on a foul note as they slumped to a embarrassing 1-0 loss to relegation-threatened Spezia. Prior to this, the Aquilotti, who were promoted only last year and are thus in their sophomore campaign in Serie A, had won just three times all season and were narrowly just hovering above the drop zone. 

What makes this result even more odd is the fact that Spezia won the game without firing a single shot on target. Indeed, and not surprisingly, they parked the bus for pretty much the entire game, and snatched all three points through an unfortunate own goal from Napoli. This makes them the first team so far to achieve this - and very likely are just one of a very few to have won a game without even having a shot on goal!

Inter kicking into another gear at just the right time...: The Nerazzurri finished their 2021 with a narrow 1-0 win over Torino, but it won't matter how many goals were scored. Three points are three points, and with that, the Nerazzurri now move four points clear of city rivals Milan. More important, it marked the seventh straight league win for Simone Inzaghi's men, and what's really impressive is that it's the sixth Serie A game that Inter haven't conceded a goal. 

Indeed, the last time the reigning Serie A champs did concede was back on November 21, when they beat Napoli in a five goal thriller.

...and the Nerazzurri's winning record is quite impressive indeed: 32. That's the number of games Inter won in 2021, which is the second most in league history. Only Juventus, who won 33 in 2016, did better, but should the Nerazzurri make sure they win the Scudetto again this May, that really won't matter much to the team nor to their supporters.

Milan make history: Despite losing their grip on top spot, Milan finished 2021 with a crucial away win. They had to work a lot harder than expected as Empoli were determined to fight them for every single blade of grass on the pitch, but ultimately, the Rossoneri came out on top. In doing so, they won 17 away Serie A games in 2021, becoming the second team to achieve this after Napoli won 18 back in 2017.

Bologna's decent start...can they make a push for Europe? Given that the Rossoblu have really had their fair share of issues, the Rossoblu have done pretty well for themselves this season. Certainly, no one would expect them to be able to realistically challenge for the Scudetto, but pushing for a Europa League Conference place may not be too much of a stretch. Having picked up a solid 27 points from their first 19 games - their best return in nearly 20 years (since 2002/03) - they do have some work to do in 2022, but if they can continue in this same vein, coupled with a bit of luck, they just may be able to feature in Europe next season. 

Top Serie A matches: January 6, 2022 

Serie A will be back in action after the Christmas break, and here are some of the games you'll want to mark on your calendar in what's set to be a very busy Thursday of action on January 6, 2022:

Bologna vs Inter: After finishing 2021 as Scudetto winners and now most recently, winter champions, Inter will resume their Serie A campaign with an away clash against Bologna on January 6th. On paper, this looks to be a straightforward win for Simone Inzaghi's side, but Bologna have been quite solid this term, and will head into 2022 having enjoyed one of their strongest starts in well over a decade.

Milan vs Roma: This will be another big game to kick off 2022, with Milan taking on Jose Mourinho's Roma. The Rossoneri have again started to lose ground on Inter, who are four points clear, while the Giallorossi will be eager to put some pressure on fifth-placed Juventus as they chase down a Champions League football spot.

Juventus vs Napoli: Injuries have taken their toll on Luciano Spalletti's side, who burst out of the gates early on, but have since started to crumble. For over two months, Napoli managed to stay ahead of the chasing pack after one of their strongest starts in recent times, but now find themselves barely hanging on to a top four spot. After losing three of their last five Serie A games in 2021, will the Partenopei be able to refind their footing as they take on Juventus in a highly anticipated battle in 2022?

Meanwhile, Juventus seem to have hit a positive vein of form, with four wins in their last five games, but will need to do more to dislodge Atalanta, who are desperately clinging onto fourth spot and close the gap on teams like Napoli, Milan, and Inter.

Make sure you don't miss out on these key games and stay on top of all the action by checking out our bespoke Serie A matchpage.