AC Milan’s Serie A player of the season Rafael Leao and Napoli’s regular center forward to Victor Osimhen are the major absentees when the two sides lock horns for outright leadership of the standings on Super Sunday. The pair are among three sides jostling for the number one slot along with Atalanta who travel to AS Roma on the same day.
Stefano Pioli’s champions are likely to feel Leao’s absence more than Luciano Spaletti’s Partenopei thanks to an ambitious recruitment drive that took rising stars Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Giacomo Raspadori and Giovanni Simeone to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in June. All three were instrumental as Napoli warmed up for Sunday’s showdown by eviscerating Rangers 3-0 in the Champions League.
The advancing age of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 40, and Olivier Giroud, 35, dictates Milan’s Belgian striker Divorck Origi, a summer arrival from Liverpool must fill up the void created by Leao’s absence. But Origi hasn’t been at the races all season and has been voted Serie A’s worst signing by fans. Pioli must therefore turn to Origi’s compatriot Charles de Ketelaere, Brazilian Junior Messias and out of sorts Croatian Ante Rebic.
AS Roma’s matchup with Atalanta is an equally fascinating affair as both can ascend to the summit of the standings depending on weekend results elsewhere. Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini will relish the opportunity to upset Jose Mourinho’s Romans, as their domestic form is often scuppered by Thursday night European football.
League action resumes on Friday with Salernitana hoping to build on last week’s impressive 2-2 draw with Juventus when they host newcomers Lecce. Saturday will feature three matches. New Bologna boss Thiago Motta seeks his first victory at home to Empoli, Spezia square off with Sampdoria and Torino are up against Sassuolo.
FRIDAY
Salernitana v Lecce
SATURDAY
Bologna v Empoli,
Spezia v Salernitana,
Torino v Sassuolo
SUNDAY
Udinese v Inter Milan,
Monza v Juventus,
Cremonese v Lazio,
Fiorentina v Hellas Verona,
AS Roma v Atalanta,
AC Milan v Napoli