Napoli face holders Milan test, Atalanta meet Roma

ROME: All of the big Serie A clubs face intriguing tests this weekend before the season’s first international break.

First-placed Napoli meets defending champion AC Milan at the San Siro, second-placed Atalanta visits Conference League champion Roma, 2021 champion Inter Milan travels to a surprising Udinese that is one point behind the leaders, and struggling Juventus is desperate for a big result when it goes to Silvio Berlusconi’s Monza, which just changed coaches.

Unbeaten in Serie A and coming off consecutive three-goal wins against Liverpool and Rangers in the Champions League, Napoli goes to Milan full of confidence.

For a team that lost their captain (Lorenzo Insigne), all-time record scorer (Dries Mertens) and defensive stalwart (Kalidou Koulibaly) in the offseason, Napoli has done incredibly well to bring in a host of replacements who have provided immediate contributions: From craty winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to forwards Giovanni Simeone and Giacomo Raspadori to center back Kim Min-jae.

Simeone and Raspadori have done a solid job of filling in at center forward with Napoli standout Victor Osimhen still out injured.

Napoli will also be without coach Luciano Spalleti, who is suspended.

Milan will also be missing their best player of late, with Rafael Leao suspended, too. With Zlatan Ibrahimovic also still unavailable, Olivier Giroud will be the focus of the Rossoneri attack.

Napoli, Atalanta and Milan are level on points. ROMA TAKE ON ATALANTA: While still struggling to get their high-powered atack going, Atalanta is off to an unbeaten start while forward Luis Muriel is regaining his form ater injury and Duvan Zapata is still out.