Inter Milan have top spot in Serie A in their sights as the Italian champions head to Turin on Sunday to take on fierce rivals Juventus just one point behind league leaders Napoli. Monday night’s win over Fiorentina put Inter right on Napoli’s heels as an intriguing Scudetto battle hots up with the pair facing off in Naples in two weeks’ time. But this weekend’s fixtures could also have a big say in the destination of the Scudetto as Napoli have a tough trip to fourth-placed Lazio to deal with on Saturday.
Napoli have let Inter creep up on them with consecutives draws with Roma and Udinese, both of which came after going ahead, and Antonio Conte’s team will be without Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s replacement David Neres who has picked up a thigh injury and will likely be out until early March.
But no team would more like to derail Inter’s title defence than Juve, bigger rivals than even AC Milan and in something of a mini-revival after three wins in three in all competitions.
For once Inter benefit from a near-full week’s rest between matches thanks to their direct qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League, while Juve battled to a 2-1 first-leg win over PSV Eindhoven in the play-offs on Tuesday.
That rest should help Inter as Marcus Thuram looks to be fit enough to start at the Allianz Stadium after being substituted early on against Fiorentina with an unspecified muscular issue.
Should Thuram be absent it would create problems in attack for coach Simone Inzaghi as Monday’s match-winner Marko Arnautovic is also struggling with a thigh knock and Medhi Taremi has failed to make an impact since arriving from Porto.
Juve have been relying on Thuram’s France teammate Randal Kolo Muani who has scored five times in his first three Serie A matches after arriving on loan from Paris Saint-Germain and was unlucky not to net against PSV.
Inter and Napoli having such tough away fixtures offers up an opportunity for Atalanta to force their away back into the title conversation when they host strugglers Cagliari on Saturday.
Atalanta are five points behind Napoli in third and will step onto the field at the Gewiss Stadium still angered by the penalty decision which cost them a 2-1 defeat at Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s side will have star attacker Ademola Lookman out at the weekend, when the Bergamo-based outfit will no doubt have one eye on Tuesday’s second leg of their Champions League play-off.
Player to watch: Moise Kean Italy striker Kean will line up against Como at Sunday lunchtime hoping to help Fiorentina continue their push for Champions League football with three points separating Raffaele’s Palladino’s team from Lazio.
The 24-year-old is having his best ever season in front of goal and has netted 15 times in 23 Serie A appearances since signing from Juve last summer.
He will take to the field for the first time after exposing the racist abuse he was subjected to online by Inter fans following Fiorentina’s defeat at the San Siro.
Key stats 1 – Napoli lead Inter Milan by a single point.
5 – the number of goals separating Kean from top scorer and Italy teammate Mateo Retegui.
Fixtures (times GMT) Friday
Bologna v Torino (1945)
Saturday
Atalanta v Cagliari (1400), Lazio v Napoli (1700), AC Milan v Verona (1945)
Sunday
Fiorentina v Como (1130), Monza v Lecce, Udinese v Empoli (1400), Parma v Roma (1700), Juventus v Inter Milan (1945)
Monday
Genoa v Venezia (1945)
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