Serie A mid-season review: Napoli jockeying for 1st title in 26 years

The 2015-16 Serie A campaign is halfway done, and the league is wide open. There have been 10 lead changes through the first 19 matches, with Inter Milan, Napoli, Roma, and Fiorentina all occupying the top spot at some point. But defending champion Juventus is also surging after a poor start, and provincial sides like Sassuolo and Empoli are fighting for the right to play in Europe.

Here's a look at the best of Serie A at the midway point:

Best Player: Gonzalo Higuain

This season is one of redemption for Gonzalo Higuain, who missed a penalty in May that would have sent Napoli to the Champions League. The goals are flowing, and perhaps more importantly, the Argentina international has the undying confidence of his manager.

Maurizo Sarri said in December that Higuain is good enough to win the Ballon d'Or one day. In the meantime, though, the 28-year-old has scored 18 league goals through 19 games, matching his total from all of last season. He is Napoli's reference point, and he is almost always available to play.

Most Disappointing Player: Edin Dzeko

Edin Dzeko arrived at Roma in the summer as the big-name striker who could finally provide scoring for a club that's lacked it on a consistent basis. But he has so far only struck five goals in 21 appearances, with two of those coming from the penalty spot. It's a poor return for a player with the capability of scoring well into the double digits. He just completed a two-match ban for verbally abusing the referee at the end of December, the first red card of his club career that has further delayed his progress in the Italian capital. And his deputy, Umar Sadiq, managed to score twice in Dzeko's absence. Suddenly, his spot in the lineup is not so sure.

Best Signing: Paulo Dybala

In his first days as a Juventus player, Paulo Dybala struggled to get frequent playing time. But the decision to leave out Dybala, who signed for €32 million from Palermo in the offseason, was a deliberate one from manager Massimiliano Allegri. The Juventus boss eased the 22-year-old into the starting XI and slowly gave him more responsibilities, and now he is the club's leading scorer in Serie A with nine goals and an additional four assists.

"I don't consider myself one of the leaders, as there are so many important and experienced players around, but wearing this shirt comes with a great responsibility and I feel that I've matured here," Dybala told reporters. And he is right.

Best Goal: Leonardo Blanchard vs. Genoa

Frosinone hasn't attracted many headlines in its maiden Serie A season, but centre-back Leonardo Blanchard produced one of the greatest individual efforts of the year on Oct. 18. On his backside in the middle of the penalty area, Blanchard somehow found the ball and looped it up and over Genoa goalkeeper Mattia Perin.

Blanchard, who travelled with Frosinone from the third tier of Italian football to the top flight in the space of three years, also scored the equaliser in the 1-1 draw against Juventus that gave his club its first-ever Serie A point.

Biggest Surprise: Sassuolo's Italian story

Sassuolo has slayed the giants of Serie A in the first half of this campaign, beating Napoli, Juventus, and most recently Inter. But it is the way in which the Neroverdi have achieved these results that makes their sixth-place standing so remarkable.

Sassuolo is predominately Italian in a league where most of the top sides rely on foreign talent. It had nine Italian starters on Sunday, while Inter had just the one. "I am so proud of these lads who once again today proved themselves to be a real team," said manager Eusebio Di Francesco, who has turned this provincial side into a top-table club.

Di Francesco, after all, was fired in January 2014, only to return in March of that year to save the club from relegation. It's been a steady rise ever since.

Favourite Moment: Donnarumma swaps shirts with Buffon

(Courtesy: juventusfcen)

AC Milan's 16-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma sprung onto the scene in October, becoming the youngest player to start a match in net in Serie A history. He immediately drew parallels with his idol, Gianluigi Buffon, who similarly began his career as a teenager. At around the time Donnarumma made his debut, Buffon celebrated the 20th anniversary of his own introduction to senior football - one that came against Milan, no less.

The two finally met on Nov. 21, with Donnarumma on the losing end of a 1-0 result but on the receiving end of a special gift from Buffon. The World Cup winner handed the youngster his jersey, and perhaps the keys to his throne.

Best XI

Goalkeeper: Samir Handanovic (Inter Milan)

Defenders: Elseid Hysaj (Napoli), Jeison Murrilo (Inter Milan), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Adam Masina (Bologna),

Midfielders: Miralem Pjanic (Roma), Allan (Napoli), Paul Pogba (Juventus)

Forwards: Paulo Dybala (Juventus), Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli), Eder (Sampdoria)