Napoli star Victor Osimhen keeps up his rampant form... 10 THINGS WE LEARNED from Serie A

The thrills and spills of Serie A returned once again this weekend as Italy's top flight clubs continued to get back into the swing of domestic football after the World Cup in Qatar.

League leaders Napoli returned to winning ways after carving out a 2-0 victory against the 10 men of Sampdoria, while Inter dropped points in the title race following Denzel Dumfries' stoppage time own goal in their 2-2 draw at Monza.

Sportsmail takes a look at all the major talking points from Serie A this weekend.

Tottenham should think twice before recalling Udogie

The on-loan Spurs starlet had a great opportunity to show Antonio Conte what he can do in front of goal against Serie A giants Juventus, but he squandered the golden chance to keep his record to two goals from 12 appearances.

Attacking wing-backs have a special place in Conte's heart and the Italian will no doubt want Udogie competing for places at Tottenham. It just seems the full-back is not quite ready yet for the Premier League.

No sign of slowing down from Osimhen

Victor Osimhen helped keep Napoli's grip on the top spot with yet another well-taken goal against Sampdoria, taking his tally to 10 in Serie A.

The Nigerian striker looks in superb physical condition and continues to threaten defences with his unrivalled power and pace, bringing about Tomas Rincon's crucial red card towards the end of the first half.

If Osimhen keeps up his rampant form in front of goal, he could be lauded as the hero in what promises to be a historic season for the Italian giants.

Last-gasp strike rescues absent Abraham

Out-of-sorts Tammy Abraham helped Roma stay in touch with the Champions League chasers as he netted a crucial stoppage time equaliser against Milan.

Abraham's jubilant celebrations showcased both ecstasy and relief as he bagged his fourth of the season - a tally significantly lower than the total he'd managed by this stage of last season.

The ex-Chelsea forward was largely ineffective and vacant throughout the clash against Milan, but perhaps his critics will review his performance a little more kindly after grabbing the late leveller.

Palladino's turning Monza into monsters

Since Raffaele Palladino took over as manager of Monza, Silvio Berlusconi's Monza team has started to achieve outstanding results in Serie A.

After beating Juventus at home earlier this season, Palladino's side held fellow Serie A giants Inter to a 2-2 draw this weekend to earn a precious and unexpected point.

Fostering a courageous spirit in attack and a well-organised unit in defence, the manager has swiftly made Monza one of the league's most entertaining underdogs.

It's high time Bennacer grabbed the headlines

Rafael Leao, Sandro Tonali and Olivier Giroud have hogged the praise at Milan throughout the majority of this season, but this weekend showed the importance Ismael Bennacer in Stefano Pioli's midfield.

Possessing the perfect blend of dynamism and technique, Bennacer has emerged an invaluable playmaker in Milan's attacking set-up, creating chances from deep while also negating the opposition with inexhaustible running.

No wonder Milan are whacking a £44million release clause on his new four-year deal...

Juventus are profiting from humble Rugani

He had to wait patiently for his chance, but Daniele Rugani is finally showing Juventus what he's made of.

Eight clean sheets on the spin and Juventus boast the most enviable defensive record in the division. Rugani played a key role at the back in their most recent triumph against Udinese.

The consistent and reliable 28-year-old, who enjoys quietly going about his business away from the spotlight, has barely made a mistake this season and has probably bought himself an extra few years in Turin should he wish to stay.

Lazio's Sarri run of form continues

Maurizio Sarri and Lazio endured a woeful start to 2023 with a 2-1 loss to Lecce and at the weekend failed to bounce back against Empoli, who equalised to hold the Rome-based club to a 2-2 draw.

At one stage, it looked likely that Sarri would fire Lazio into the Champions League places come the end of the season, but his side have been a shadow of themselves in recent performances, slipping to fifth place and three points behind Inter Milan.

Sarri will be particularly concerned about Lazio's lack of fight in the closing stages against Empoli. The European hopefuls were second-best in terms of physicality through the contest and gave up a cheap equaliser at the death.

Darmian's looking five years younger

At 33, Matteo Darmian deserves immense credit for continuing to hold down his spot on the right flank.

It's no secret Inter's wing-back's require extreme levels of stamina to attack and defend in Simone Inzaghi's system, and Darmian's body is performing far younger than its years.

The hard-working defender netted Inter's opener against Monza on Saturday and is continuing to show the vital role he plays for the Serie A giants.

Short-term Ochoa deal bears fruit for Salernitana

He may take time to adjust to the environmental differences and language barriers, but goalkeeping is the same everywhere for Salernitana shot-stopper Guillermo Ochoa.

The Mexican's debut against Milan after joining the club on a short-term deal in December was spectacular and the 'keeper followed it up with another sensational display against Torino to guard Salernitana against defeat.

Ochoa, who made seven saves out of eight shots with a save percentage of 88 per cent, will prove vital in their upcoming fight against relegation.

Locatelli's promise has disappeared

Manuel Locatelli played the worst match of his Juventus career against Udinese, failing to make a significant impact in attack and committing an inexcusable number of fouls.

The yellow card he picked up perfectly capture his nervousness and it's no surprise Massimiliano Allegri hooked off the Italian early.

Locatelli was once promised as Juventus' future Andrea Pirlo but he's been a shadow of the player that won Euro 2020 with Italy, and the midfielder would be lucky to keep his place against Napoli on Friday.