Matchday 7 in Serie A is underway, with the latest round of fixtures in the Italian top-flight having kicked off on Friday. However, the standout fixture of the weekend is yet to take place as that showdown is Napoli's trip to AC Milan in Sunday's final tie, pitting two of the top three teams in the country against each other.
The Rossoneri boast the home advantage in this match-up, which is a huge boost, as they look to propel past the visitors in the standings. Currently, the two teams are level on points but it is the hosts that are at a disadvantage, having scored fewer goals while conceding more than their rivals.
Pioli's men are unbeaten this season but the defending champions have suffered slip-ups so far, drawing against Sassuolo and Atalanta in late August. The 1-1 stalemate against La Dea just under a month ago is interesting because, just like Napoli, Gian Piero Gasperini's men are level on points with the Milan giants and Leao and Co. were unable to beat that side.
However, the Scudetto holders can enter this clash with tremendous confidence. Not only have the Italian giants won all but one of their last four fixtures, but Il Diavolo have also secured crucial victories over bitter rivals Inter Milan earlier this month before overcoming Dinamo Zagreb – the Dinamo Zagreb that beat Chelsea 1-0 on Matchday 1 – in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, triumphing 3-1.
Their most recent Serie A outing was a 2-1 victory over Sampdoria in which Olivier Giroud netted the decisive goal. AC Milan received all the plaudits, and rightfully so, as they were reduced to 10 men after Leao's sending-off. However, the downside is that the talented Portuguese winger will now be absent for this crucial tie.
Napoli, meanwhile, aren't short on confidence themselves. As mentioned earlier, the visitors sit ahead of the Milan giants, but that's not all as Luciano Spalletti's men entered this round as the league leaders as well.
And just like the Rossoneri, Gli Azzurri suffered two draws late last month, playing out 0-0 and 1-1 stalemates against Fiorentina and Lecce, respectively, in back-to-back outings.
Regardless, Napoli boast a four-game winning streak, beating Lazio 2-1 in a comeback victory while overcoming Spezia 1-0 in their two most recent Italian top-flight games.
In Europe, things have been going even better for the Serie A giants. Osimhen and Co. kicked off their UEFA Champions League campaign at home to Liverpool and tore apart Klopp's side, beating the Merseyside outfit 4-1. Matchday 2 in the continental tournament took place just a few days ago and Napoli triumphed in that round as well, this time beating Rangers 3-0.
Both teams have the golden opportunity to distance themselves from the other. Atalanta are also in the mix, meaning the table will remain tight at the top, but expect AC Milan and Napoli to give it their all in this fixture.
Team news
AC Milan: As mentioned earlier, Rafael Leao misses out due to suspension while Ante Rebic, Divock Origi, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are all sidelined with injuries. Junior Messias and Rade Krunic will be pushing for starts.
Napoli: Victor Osimhen remains sidelined for the visitors, which is a huge blow. Fortunately, Hirving Lozano has returned from injury while one of Giacomo Raspadori or Giovanni Simeone will deputize for the aforementioned Nigerian.
Key stats
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AC Milan are unbeaten in their last 22 Serie A games (W15 D7).
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Additionally, the Rossoneri are on a six-game winning streak at home.
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In their last 10 Italian top-flight matches, Napoli have triumphed eight times and have kept six clean sheets in their last nine outings.
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If Gli Azzurri lose this tie, this will be the first time they have lost back-to-back encounters against AC Milan since 2010-11.
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The Scudetto holders boast the superior record in recent head-to-head encounters, winning three of their last seven showdowns (D2, L2).
Broadcast listings
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
