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Serie A Preview: Juventus, Napoli aim to close gap on Roma
1 November 2013
Napoli and Juventus will aim to keep the pressure on leaders Roma after Rudi Garcia's men made it 10 Serie A wins in a row.
Roma's 1-0 victory over rock-bottom Chievo on Thursday saw them move five points clear at the top as the capital club's record-breaking start to the season continued.
But with Garcia's charges not in action until Sunday, there is an opportunity for the chasing pack to close the gap in Saturday's fixtures.
Juventus will be first up when they travel to Parma with a view to making amends for a second-half capitulation in their last away match.
Having led Fiorentina 2-0 at the break, Juve's collapse saw them concede four goals in 15 minutes to lose 4-2, ending a seven-match unbeaten league run.
Antonio Conte's charges bounced back with convincing home victories against Genoa and Catania, but Parma, who have won three in a row at the Stadio Ennio Tardini, are likely to provide a sterner test.
Napoli's only loss of the campaign came against Roma and they too reacted well to their first setback, winning the next two to stay ahead of Juventus on goal difference.
Catania are the visitors to the Stadio San Paolo, with Luigi De Canio's side residing in the bottom three, having lost five in a row on the road.
In Saturday's other game, Massimo Ambrosini could be denied a return to Milan, where he spent 18 years, after the Fiorentina midfielder injured his thigh and missed the defeat to Napoli.
Roma, who have conceded just one league goal, travel to Torino in Sunday's late kick-off.
The hosts are winless in six and have not kept a clean sheet since an opening-day victory over Sassuolo.
Fourth-placed Inter have scored 15 of their 24 goals on the road and head to Udinese boasting an unbeaten away record.
Sampdoria welcome fellow strugglers Sassuolo with just three points separating the sides, who sit 16th and 19th respectively.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Genoa travel to Lazio, Verona welcome Cagliari, and Livorno eye just their second home win of the campaign against mid-table Atalanta.
Bologna will have their sights set on a third straight win when they take on Chievo, who have lost six in a row, on Monday.
Here are five things to know about the Italian league ahead of this weekend's matches:
KAKA ON FIRE
Many people saw Kaka's return to AC Milan as a step backward.
Even some Milan fans were skeptical, amid the euphoria at seeing their former idol come back, and it appeared as if the doubters were to be proved right when Kaka was almost immediately sidelined with injury.
However, the Brazilian has been showing signs of his old form and on Wednesday scored his first goal since returning to Milan - a stunning strike which rolled back the years to his first spell at the club and helped his team to a 1-1 draw against Lazio.
Kaka's last Milan goal before he moved to Real Madrid came in a 2-0 win at Fiorentina on May 31, 2009. Milan hosts Fiorentina on Saturday.
"I'm disappointed with the result," Kaka said. "My goal could have been so much more important. I hope to score other goals which are worth three points."
SOARING VERONA
Newly-promoted Hellas Verona has had a stunning start to the season which has surpassed anyone's expectations.
The team is level on points with fourth-place Inter Milan but coach Andrea Mandorlini is keeping calm.
"Our Scudetto will be Serie A survival," he said. "We are on an important road and we want to continue on it because we are receiving some great satisfaction right now."
Next up for Verona is the visit of struggling Cagliari, which lost to Bologna during the week.
FUMING FIORENTINA
Fiorentina felt it should have been awarded a stoppage-time penalty when Juan Cuadrado was tripped by Napoli's Gokhan Inler, but the referee instead handed the Fiorentina midfielder a second yellow card for diving and sent him off.
Fiorentina lost 2-1 at home to Napoli and Cuadrado - who has scored four
goals in 11 matches - will miss this weekend's trip to Milan if the club's appeal is not successful.
Fiorentina will again turn to U.S.-born forward Giuseppe Rossi, who scored a penalty against Napoli to take his tally to nine goals in 10 matches as he continues to prove he is back to his best following two injury-hit years.
INTER DEFENCE
Inter Milan will hope to have key defenders Hugo Campagnaro and Walter Samuel back for Sunday's trip to Udinese.
In the past five games without Campagnaro, Inter has let in 10 goals, while it conceded just two in the first five games of the season. Samuel has been out for six months but returned for Tuesday's 1-1 draw at Atalanta.
Inter conceded 57 goals last season, with only Pescara having a worst defence.
Under current Inter coach Walter Mazzarri, Napoli had the second best defence in Serie A, conceding 36 goals.
PIRLO THE PEARL
Veteran Andrea Pirlo has been a revelation since joining Juventus on a free transfer in 2011 after it was decided not to renew his contract at AC Milan.
Pirlo has been key for club and country and a cornerstone of Juventus' success over the past two seasons, helping it to two consecutive Italian league titles.
So influential is the 34-year-old Pirlo that he is the only Serie A player or Italian included on the 23-man shortlist for World Player of the Year.
"We are proud," Juventus general director Giuseppe Marotta said. "We re-launched Pirlo and that fills us with joy."
Pirlo scored with a trademark free kick in Juve's 4-0 win over Catania.
Serie A Wrap: Napoli, Juventus both win, Milan lose again
3 November 2013
Napoli moved to within two points of leaders Roma at the top of Serie A courtesy of a 2-1 home success over lowly Catania.
Jose Callejon gave Napoli the lead after 15 minutes and the advantage was doubled five minutes later by Marek Hamsik.
Lucas Castro did pull a goal back in the 25th minute but an equaliser was not forthcoming as Catania's winless run was extended to five matches.
Napoli have now triumphed in nine out of 11 league games under Rafael Benitez and are above Juventus, who they meet next weekend, on goal difference.
Antonio Conte's side had briefly taken over second spot with a 1-0 win at Parma earlier in the evening.
In a game of few chances, Paul Pogba scored the winner with 13 minutes remaining, tucking home a rebound after Fabio Quagliarella's long-range shot had cannoned off the crossbar.
Like Napoli, Juve were able to celebrate a third successive win as Parma suffered a third defeat in four.
Entrenched in mid-table along with Parma are Milan, who now have just one victory in five league games following a 2-0 home defeat against Fiorentina.
Juan Vargas opened the scoring in the 27th minute with a deflected free-kick, before Borja Valero sealed the visitors' third successive win over Milan at the San Siro with 17 minutes to go, tapping in after Gabriel had parried Joaquin's cross.
The defeat was Milan's fifth in 11 games this season and pressure is mounting on coach Massimiliano Allegri as his side's chances of qualifying for next year's UEFA Champions League fade.
Serie A Wrap: Roma´s perfect start comes to an end, Inter win
4 November 2013
Roma dropped points in Serie A for the first time this season after being held to a 1-1 draw at Torino on Sunday.
The result brings to an end Roma's record run of 10 consecutive league victories, with Rudi Garcia's side now three points clear of Napoli and Juventus, the two teams immediately behind them in the table.
Kevin Strootman had put Roma in front after 28 minutes, sweeping home Miralem Pjanic's cutback after Torino had failed to clear a corner properly.
But the hosts hit back 18 minutes into the second half through Alessio Cerci, just the second goal that Roma have conceded in a remarkable start to their league campaign and first in a staggering 743 minutes.
Leaders Roma pressed hard for a winner in the final stages with a succession of dangerous free-kicks in and around the Torino area, but the home side stood firm to claim their fourth league draw in five matches.
Earlier in the day, fourth-placed Inter extended their unbeaten run to four matches with a comfortable 3-0 success away at Udinese.
Rodrigo Palacio gave Walter Mazzarri's side the lead with a firm header on 25 minutes, before Andrea Ranocchia volleyed home his first goal of the season four minutes later to double Inter's advantage.
Palacio then set up Ricardo Alvarez in second-half stoppage-time as Inter maintained their unbeaten record away from home this season.
Verona are a place behind Inter on goal difference following their 2-1 home win over Cagliari.
Luca Toni, playing in his 500th domestic match, scored his 225th goal after eight minutes before that advantage was doubled by Bosko Jankovic 12 minutes into the second half.
Daniele Conti did pull one back for the visitors right at the end, but it was not enough to deny Verona a fifth win in six, while Cagliari have now won just once since the opening day of the season.
The game of the day came between two of the division's struggling sides, as Sassuolo won 4-3 away at 10-man Sampdoria.
Domenico Berardi was the star, scoring three of Sassuolo's four goals to become the second youngest player, at 19 years and 94 days, to score a Serie A hat-trick this century, second only to Bari's Francesco Grandolfo, who claimed a treble versus Bologna in May 2011 aged 18 years and 300 days.
Nicola Pozzi had given the hosts the lead in the 19th minute before Berardi claimed his first four minutes after the break.
Sampdoria then saw Andrea Costa sent off for a second caution in the 52nd minute, Berardi tucking away the resulting penalty before Antonio Floro Flores added another 11 minutes later.
The hosts pulled one back almost immediately through Eder and Lorenzo De Silvestri looked to have rescued a point with his strike nine minutes from time, only for Berardi to take centre stage once more and net the winner from the spot with just two minutes remaining.
Elsewhere, second-half goals from Juraj Kucka and Alberto Gilardino saw Genoa win 2-0 at Lazio, while Paulinho's 11th-minute strike handed Livorno a 1-0 home win over Atalanta, who saw Carlos Carmona sent off 10 minutes before half-time.
The Giallorossi boss believes his side's draw with Torino will go down as a positive after they failed to extend their 10-game run of wins
Roma coach Rudi Garcia is refusing to dwell on his side's draw against Torino, despite their 10-match winning streak coming to an end.
Alessio Cerci netted in the second half to cancel out Kevin Strootman’s opener as the capital side were held 1-1 in Turin, but the former Lille boss believes a point on their travels is a positive.
“This is football, we can’t win them all, but a draw away from home is not a negative result,” the Frenchman told reporters after the game.
“I liked that we played all the through in order to win. Even at the end we attacked to the final whistle and tried to get the victory.
“We must make the most of this point, as it is valuable, and be ready to win the next game at home to Sassuolo. I hope we can then break away from Juventus or Napoli, maybe even both.”
Daniele De Rossi echoed the sentiments of his coach, admitting that games will only get harder as teams try to find a way to stifle the Giallorossi’s potent threat.
“After such an extraordinary run it can happen to have a little slip-up and we felt tired towards the end, so weren’t as sharp as usual," he told Sky Sport Italia.
“It’s particularly disappointing considering we dominated the game. Torino just sat back and defended, but we’ve got to get used to that this season.”
Roma are still top if the Serie A table, three points clear of both Juventus and Napoli, who both play each other next weekend.
The Nerazzurri coach is confident that the experienced defender will soon return to match action after a lengthy spell on the sidelines
Inter coach Walter Mazzarri has stressed that it's only a matter of time before Javier Zanetti makes his comeback from injury.
The 40-year-old was included in the Nerazzurri's match squad for their 3-0 win over Udinese at the weekend for the first time since sustaining an Achilles tendon injury back in April and even though he did not feature against the Stadio Friuli side, Mazzarri is confident that Zanetti will be back in action shortly.
"Of course we have to be careful because Javier needs time, but I believe that he will make his comeback soon," Mazzarri told reporters.
"I was uncertain whether to let him enter the pitch or not because he seems to be in good condition.
"I've asked the other players not to put him under too much pressure during training because he has just got back, but he seems so comfortable with the ball that he could have featured if I had decided to play him."
The victory over Udinese leaves Inter fourth in Serie A, nine points off leaders Roma.
The 50-year-old Biancocelesti coach admits his side haven't been ruthless enough in a lot of games so far this season, but mainly attributes their stuttering form to misfortune
Vladimir Petkovic has claimed that Lazio's poor results this season have been predominantly down to bad luck.
The 50-year-old Bosnian has been under pressure of late because of the Biancocelesti's inconsistent start to the season, with the capital club currently in seventh place in Serie A.
Despite this, Petkovic doesn't feel his side have had the rub of the green in a number of games, and hopes that things will change for the better in Thursday's Europa League meeting with Apollon Limassol.
“Against the likes of Fiorentina, Atalanta and Genoa we’ve just hit some bad luck," the Lazio boss told reporters.
“It’s normal to ask for more from your players, but in some cases our efforts have not been repaid.
“Sometimes we have come unstuck after dominating. Then, our mistakes have been punished.
“We have to use these results as a wake-up call. Tomorrow we want to win. I trust that my players will have the same appetite as me.
“I do not deny that we can improve. We are all involved in this, and we need to find a solution."
Petkovic also bemoaned the way in which his squad has been stretched to breaking point by injuries to so many key personnel, suggesting that the club's medical and fitness staff may be doing something wrong in terms of treatment and training.
“Bruises or smaller problems can be avoided," he mused. "And we have to analyse why we’re getting so many muscular injuries."
The outgoing Nerazzurri supremo joked that the reason why the Argentine is still going strong at 40 is that he is not of this world
Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti says that Javier Zanetti can continue playing for at least another four years, joking that the club captain hails from the same planet as 'Superman', Krypton.
The 40-year-old defender was the first player that the oil tycoon signed when he took charge of the Nerazzurri in 1995 and is set to make his eagerly-awaited return from an Achilles injury in December.
Moratti, whose sale of Inter to Indonesian businessman Erick Thohir is set to be completed on November 15, says he would be astounded by the fact that Zanetti will outlast him at San Siro had he not discovered the secret of the Argentine's remarkable longevity.
"He was the first player I saw and the first I selected," the outgoing Nerazzurri supremo told Sette. "We took him from Banfield and he's still with us.
"But I discovered that he comes from the planet Krypton and that he will still play for another four or five years!"
Moratti admitted that he would have dearly loved to have signed Zanetti's compatriot Lionel Messi but he explained that "he was too bound to Barcelona".
Meanwhile, it has been reported that Moratti could yet continue in his role as president but the 68-year-old has revealed that he is ready to step down.
"I knew I was never going to be president for life," he explained. "In 2011, after the Coppa Italia win, I thought it was time to take a step back and let the club find a new solution.
"Selling the club to Erick Thohir should benefit the club, which is what I want to see. It should open up new markets for the club."
Juventus striker Fernando Llorente will not be sold in the January transfer window, according to chief executive Giuseppe Marotta.
The Spain international arrived in Turin on a free transfer from Athletic Bilbao in the close-season.
Having initially struggled to make an impact, speculation has since mounted that Juventus may look to cash in on the 28-year-old in the new year, with Premier League table-toppers Arsenal touted as a possible destination.
But Llorente has showed signs that he is starting to settle in Italy, including scoring the equaliser in Juve's 2-2 draw with Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, and Marotta is confident that he will continue to improve.
"The player (Llorente) is not for sale," he told Tuttosport. "He's never been available.
"He will stay here with us. There is great faith in the boy and he is reaching his peak condition.
"We're very happy with him and his progress."
Llorente has scored once in eight Serie A appearances for the reigning champions, with Juventus occupying third spot.
Buffon talks up ´prestigious´ Juventus, Napoli encounter
8 November 2013
Gianluigi Buffon believes Juventus' fixture with Napoli has reclaimed its place as a prestigious event in the Serie A calendar.
The goalkeeper - who will appear 18 years after making his league debut for former club Parma in 1995 - admits the fixture had lost prominence until the two teams were competing for the Serie B title six years ago.
Juventus ultimately won that battle, returning to the top flight as champions, while Napoli claimed runner-up spot in the 2006-07 campaign.
Since then Juve have claimed back-to-back titles and Napoli came third in the 2010-11 season, with Buffon praising the way both clubs have bounced back from adversity.
"The prestige of the tie was lost a bit after the years of Michel Platini and Diego Maradona," he told Corriere dello Sport.
"That returned with the matches in Serie B where both teams had ended up. In a few years we found ourselves competing at the top and that is the result of planning.
"For Juventus, the club's tradition and the (Agnelli) family was important, while Aurelio De Laurentiis deserves great credit for Napoli."
Napoli and Juventus both have 28 points in Serie A, with the former sitting second by virtue of goal difference.
Roma remain at the top of the pile, having amassed 31 points from a possible 33, and Buffon credited Rudi Garcia's men for their excellent form.
"Nobody expected the Giallorossi to be flying so high," he continued. "Not even themselves or their most optimistic supporter.
"Their run signifies that they have a great desire, motivation and squad spirit - characteristics which allow you to scale unthinkable mountains.
"Roma are first and they deserve it. They will be a rival right up until the very end."
Inter will be hoping to close the gap on Serie A's top three when they welcome Livorno to San Siro on Saturday.
Walter Mazzarri's men sit fourth, six points adrift of Napoli and Juventus in second and third respectively, but have only taken two victories from their last six league fixtures.
However, history suggests the hosts can be confident of picking up all three points this weekend, having won nine of the previous 11 meetings between the sides, scoring 24 goals compared to Livorno's four.
Visiting coach Davide Nicola has been under pressure in recent weeks after the club went on a winless streak of seven matches, which included four straight defeats.
But that run was broken last time out with a 1-0 victory over 10-man Atalanta, courtesy of Paulinho's early strike, and Nicola will be keen to build on that triumph, with his side occupying 14th spot.
Inter recorded a comprehensive 3-0 win at Udinese in their last match but goalkeeper Samir Handanovic knows they can take nothing for granted against Livorno.
"We have to forget about the Udinese match and focus on the next one against Livorno, a dangerous team," he told Sky Sport Italia.
"This season is an interesting one with a lot of balance at both ends of the table.
"Is our schedule is getting easier? It depends on how you face the matches.
"And in football you never know, since games can be decided by individual incidents.
"What we need to do is keep up this attitude."
Inter will be boosted by the return of experienced midfielder Javier Zanetti, who is back from an ankle injury that has kept him out since April, though he was on the bench for the Udinese match.
"On Saturday we face Livorno and I hope there can be the opportunity for me to play a few minutes. We'll see," he told Radio RTL.
Hugo Campagnaro (muscle strain), Diego Milito (thigh), McDonald Mariga (knee) and Cristian Chivu (foot) remain doubtful for the hosts, while Mauro Icardi is expected to be out for a month after a hernia operation.
Livorno, meanwhile, could be without Luca Belingheri (calf) again, while Marco Biagianti is a doubt after missing the win over Atalanta with a muscular problem.
Serie A Preview: Juventus, Napoli hunt down Roma
8 November 2013
Juventus host Napoli on Sunday as the two sides bid to close the gap on Serie A leaders Roma.
The clubs lie third and second respectively, separated only by goal difference, and are just three points adrift of the league's standout performers so far this season.
Both have kept up the pressure on Roma in recent weeks and will have spotted a chance to pounce, with Rudi Garcia's men having dropped points for the first time this term in a 1-1 draw with Torino last time out.
Juve picked up a 1-0 victory at Parma last weekend before battling to a 2-2 draw with Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League. Napoli took part in their own continental thriller on Wednesday as they ran out 3-2 victors over Marseille, having beaten Catania 2-1 last Saturday in domestic action.
The hosts won this clash 2-0 last season and victory for either side this time around could see them pull level on points with Roma in the unlikely event they lose to lowly Sassuolo.
Despite their minor slip-up last weekend, the league leaders will be confident of picking up maximum points at home against the 18th-placed outfit, who have just two victories to their name so far, although they did beat Sampdoria 4-3 in their most recent match.
This will be the first encounter between the sides following the visitors' promotion to Serie A last season.
Elsewhere in the Italian top flight, Inter aim to keep pace with the leading pack as they take on Livorno at San Siro on Saturday.
Walter Mazzarri's men, for whom Javier Zanetti could return from injury, sit fourth, six points adrift of Napoli and Juventus, but have only taken two victories from their last six league fixtures.
In Saturday's only other tie, Catania will be hoping to bring their five-game winless streak to an end when they host Udinese at Stadio Angelo Massimino.
As well as the top-of-the-table tussle, Sunday will also see Milan trying to break themselves out of a run of three matches without a win.
Manager Massimiliano Allegri is under increasing pressure to produce results with his side lying 11th and could find his job in more danger should they lose to bottom-placed Chievo.
Verona and Fiorentina join Inter in chasing down the top three as they take on Genoa and Sampdaria respectively, while Sunday's remaining ties see Parma host Lazio, Bologna travel to Atalanta and Cagliari face Torino.
Serie A Preview: Juventus v Napoli
9 November 2013
Defending Serie A champions Juventus will be out to move above Napoli into second place when the two sides meet in Turin on Sunday.
Antonio Conte's men are seeking their third consecutive Serie A title but, despite a superb start to the campaign, they sit just third in the table after the first 11 games.
Napoli and Juventus are both three points adrift of unbeaten league leaders Roma, who welcome struggling Sassuolo earlier on Sunday.
Juve have not lost a home league match against Napoli since 2009 and the hosts will likely look to top scorer Carlos Tevez to add to his tally of six league goals as they aim to extend that streak.
Central midfielder Arturo Vidal has also been in fine form, scoring five times in Serie A, while the recent performances of striker Fernando Llorente - a scorer in the 2-2 UEFA Champions League draw with Real Madrid in midweek - should also come as a boost to Conte.
The Juve boss may be able to recall Montenegro international Mirko Vucinic to the squad for the first time since October 2 after a thigh injury, but Simone Pepe, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Fabio Quagliarella are unavailable with the same complaint.
Napoli are set to welcome back defender Christian Maggio following suspension, but Miguel Britos (collarbone), Camilo Zuniga and Giandomenico Mesto (both knee) miss out.
Gonzalo Higuain will look to continue his fine start to life at Napoli after scoring five league goals since his July move from Real Madrid, while attacking midfielders Jose Callejon and Marek Hamsik - who have each scored six times in Serie A this season - should be heavily involved.
Juventus and Napoli have combined for 47 league goals so far this season, and visiting coach Rafael Benitez is anticipating an exciting game.
"I think it's going to be a fantastic game between two teams that are doing very well," Benitez said.
"Juventus are the defending champions and I believe they will have a slight advantage as they have one more day to prepare for the game than we do."
The hosts secured the free signing of Anthony Reveillere on Friday but the veteran defender is unlikely to feature.
Milan will be searching for a 14th consecutive win over Chievo on Sunday as they look get back on track after a terrible start to the season.
Massimiliano Allegri's men are without a win in five matches in all competitions, and sit a disappointing 11th in Serie A having won just three of their opening 11 fixtures.
However, the 18-time Italian champions should be confident of getting back to winning ways by extending their remarkable streak against the Verona-based outfit, who sit bottom of the table with just one win so far.
The absence of striker Mario Balotelli is a blow to Milan's hopes, with the former Manchester City and Inter man out of action due to suspension.
Balotelli is one of a host of absentees for Milan, who will also be without Stephan El Shaarawy (foot), Matias Silvestre (calf) and Giampaolo Pazzini (knee).
Daniele Bonera and Mattia De Sciglio (both knee) are also unavailable, as is midfielder Antonio Nocerino (calf).
Allegri has come under fire for his team's struggles so far this term, and he is desperate to begin turning things around at the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi.
"We've a fight ahead of us on Sunday," he said.
"I'm not worried, I'm eager to win a game like the players are, we're on the back of two losses in Europe and in the league. We need everyone, all the players are necessary."
Chievo's only Serie A win of the season came back in September when they overcame Udinese 2-1, while Giuseppe Sannino's side have scored only seven goals in the league this campaign.
However, the hosts can take some heart from the fact that three of their four home defeats have come against sides in the top six - Napoli, Juventus and Fiorentina.
Defender Claiton (hamstring) and midfielder Simone Bentivoglio (groin) are out for Chievo as they seek to end their eight-year wait for a win over Milan.
AS Roma's Kevin Strootman celebrates with his teammate Miralem Pjanic (Reuters file)
By Andrew Dampf
Juventus and Napoli have been keeping pace just behind Serie A leader Roma and the two clubs meet Sunday night in Turin after Roma hosts promoted Sassuolo earlier that day.
Roma dropped its first points of the season last weekend but is still three points clear of two-time defending champion Juventus and last season's runner-up Napoli.
Also this weekend, promoted Hellas Verona - which is level fourth with Inter Milan - visits Genoa, which is also in the top half.
Inter hosts promoted Livorno and fifth-place Fiorentina meets Sampdoria.
Here are five things to know entering this weekend's Italian league matches:
ARGENTINE ACCENT
The Juve-Napoli showdown will pit two Argentina forwards who are rapidly developing into Serie A's finest in their first seasons in Italy.
Carlos Tevez has scored six league goals for Juventus since joining from Manchester City and Gonzalo Higuain has five for Napoli after coming over from Real Madrid.
While Tevez has been on form all season, Higuain has battled various injuries but appears back to 100 percent after playing the full 90 minutes and scoring twice when Napoli eliminated Marseille from the Champions League with a 3-2 win Wednesday.
Juventus is coming off a 2-2 draw with Real Madrid in which Tevez failed to make an impact.
Both sides have long histories of Argentine forwards.
Diego Maradona led Napoli to its only two Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990 while Omar Sivori helped Juventus to the "scudetto" in 1958, '60 and '61.
SURPRISING SASSUOLO
Sassuolo was promoted to Serie A for the first time in its 91-year history and the central Italian club is making the most of the occasion.
While the Serie B champion has only nine points from 11 matches and is third from bottom, Sassuolo has produced some memorable performances that give it confidence entering this weekend's match at unbeaten Roma.
Last weekend, 19-year-old Domenico Berardi scored a hat trick to help Sassuolo beat 10-man Sampdoria 4-3.
Another young forward, 22-year-old Simone Zaza, scored the equalizer when Sassuolo earned its first points in the top division with a 1-1 draw at Napoli in the fifth round.
Juventus shares the rights for both Berardi and Zaza.
Sassuolo is owned by Giorgio Squinzi, who also controls the Mapei building materials company, which formerly sponsored a pro cycling team for 10 years.
ROMA'S INJURIES
When Roma's 10-match winning streak to open the season ended last weekend with a 1-1 draw at Torino, it put a spotlight on the club's injury problems at forward.
Captain Francesco Totti has been out for several weeks with a hamstring injury and won't return until later this month at the earliest.
Ivory Coast forward Gervinho also has a leg muscle injury but is hoping to speed up his recovery against the club's will so he can play for his country in a crucial World Cup playoff vs. Senegal next week.
Meanwhile, forward Mattia Destro is preparing to return later this month after letting his left knee fully heal from surgery. Destro was operated on in January and played sporadically at the end of last season then took more time off after further pain and swelling.
Without Totti, Gervinho and Destro, Roma has been relying on Marco Borriello, Alessandro Florenzi and Adem Ljajic in attack.
Roma's 25 goals are second only to Inter's 27, while the Giallorossi have conceded a league-best two.
BALOTELLI BENCHED
Mario Balotelli was surprisingly left on the bench for the first half of struggling AC Milan's 3-1 loss at Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Struggling with his form plus some minor injuries, bans and suspensions lately, coach Massimiliano Allegri decided to use Kaka and Robinho instead in attack.
"When a player is coming off some bad performances it's normal to put him on the bench for a match," Allegri said. "Mario needs to improve in the context of the squad. He's young (23) and he's starting for the first time in his career. Before coming to Milan, he was always a reserve - he was very young when he was with Inter and he didn't start at (Manchester) City."
Milan visits Chievo Verona this weekend and desperately needs a win to get back into the top half of the table. The Rossoneri have won only three of 11 matches in the league.
BARBARA BERLUSCONI
Barbara Berlusconi is taking on an increasingly important role with the club that her father Silvio owns and over the last week has been clashing with AC Milan's longtime CEO and vice president Adriano Galliani.
Last weekend, Barbara Berlusconi declared that with the club languishing in the bottom half of the table it needs to "change its corporate philosophy."
Barbara Berlusconi reportedly complained that over the last two years Milan has spent poorly in the transfer market.
After the 2011-12 season, Milan sold off nearly all of its top players - highlighted by Zlatan Ibrahimovic's and Thiago Silva's departures to Paris Saint-German - and there were few big acquisitions this past offseason besides Kaka, who rejoined the Rossoneri after an injury-plagued spell at Real Madrid.
Serie A Wrap: Inter cruise, Catania claim second win
10 November 2013
Inter gained ground on the top three in Serie A with a comfortable 2-0 home win over Livorno on Saturday.
Walter Mazzarri's men went into the match at San Siro six points behind Juventus and Napoli, who play each other Sunday, and nine behind leaders Roma, who host struggling Sassuolo on Sunday.
And they managed to reduce the deficit on the sides occupying the UEFA Champions League qualification spots by condemning Livorno to their fourth straight top-flight away defeat.
The hosts' opening goal came in the 30th minute as Jonathan's right-wing cross was diverted into the net by Livorno goalkeeper Francesco Bardi - who is on loan at the Stadio Armando Picchi from Inter.
Club captain Javier Zanetti made his return to the fold after over eight months out with a snapped Achilles tendon and the Argentinian played a key role in the second goal that wrapped the three points up for Mazzarri's team.
The veteran picked out Mateo Kovacic, who embarked on a mazy run before neatly playing in Yuto Nagatomo, and the Japan international confidently fired past Bardi.
Saturday's early kick-off saw two out of form sides go head-to-head as Catania hosted Udinese, and the home side managed to pick up only their second win of the season to condemn the visitors to a fourth defeat in their last five games.
Maxi Lopez scored the goal's only game as he buried a penalty half-an-hour into the match, but the win was not enough to move Catania up the table.
Luigi Di Canio's men began the weekend in 19th place and although they have moved on to nine points - level with Sassuolo and Sampdoria - they remain second bottom.
Serie A Wrap: Roma drop first home points, Juventus hammer Napoli
11 November 2013
Domenico Berardi's injury-time goal ensured lowly Sassuolo became the first side to take a point off Roma at the Stadio Olimpico this term.
Rudi Garcia's league leaders went in front through Alessandro Longhi's first-half own goal but Berardi, a 19-year-old on loan from Juventus, levelled in the 94th minute.
Having triumphed in their first 10 games, a Serie A record, Roma are now winless in two, while Sassuolo have climbed out of the bottom three.
Reigning champions Juventus moved to within a point of Roma with an emphatic 3-0 victory over fellow high-fliers Napoli.
Fernando Llorente's close-range strike after less than two minutes set Antonio Conte's team on their way before spectacular second-half goals from Andrea Pirlo and Paul Pogba sealed a fourth straight win.
Angelo Ogbonna was sent off late on for Juventus but it did not dampen the mood in Turin as the Bianconeri maintained their 100 per cent home league record this season.
Giuseppe Rossi scored twice in the first half, taking his tally to nine for the season, as Fiorentina overcame Sampdoria 2-1.
Rossi netted his first from the spot after 11 minutes and bagged a second six minutes later.
Manolo Gabbiadini replied for Sampdoria, but could not prevent a third successive defeat.
Verona's recent good run ended at Genoa, who ran out 2-0 winners thanks to first-half goals from Daniele Portanova and Juraj Kucka.
Parma are without a win in three but ended a run of two straight defeats as veteran Alessandro Lucarelli's equaliser earned a 1-1 draw with Lazio.
Balde Keita gave Lazio a 50th-minute lead before Lucarelli's intervention for Parma, who ended the game with 10 men after Aleandro Rosi's late red card.
Chievo remain bottom after a goalless home draw with Milan that saw two men sent off in the closing stages.
Riccardo Montolivo saw red for Milan, who are now winless in four, when picking up a second bookable offence in the 83rd minute and Sergio Pellissier was dismissed for the hosts in injury time.
Daniele Conti's brace ensured Cagliari ended a run of three successive defeats by beating Torino 2-1.
Conti's first came just before half-time and he had the last laugh with a late free-kick following Ciro Immobile's equaliser.
Elsewhere, Marko Livaja struck a winner right at the death to give Atalanta a 2-1 victory over Bologna.
Davide Brivio gave the home side the lead after 74 minutes, but his effort was quickly cancelled out by Rolando Bianchi.
Livaja had the final say three minutes into stoppage time, giving Atalanta a first win in four.
Sampdoria have sacked head coach Delio Rossi after slipping back into Serie A's bottom three over the weekend.
A 2-1 defeat away to Fiorentina was Sampdoria's third in a row and their seventh from 12 games so far this term.
After failing to win any of their opening seven Serie A games of the season, two consecutive victories against Livorno and Atalanta seemed to have turned the tide for Rossi.
However, a further defeat to Verona and a last-gasp loss at home to relegation rivals Sassuolo heaped the pressure back on the 52-year-old.
Youth coach Francesco Pedone will take charge of first-team affairs for the time being, with the entirety of Rossi's backroom staff also let go.
A Sampdoria statement read: "The club would like to thank everyone for their efforts and the professionalism demonstrated in these months of collaboration and wishes them the best fortunes for the rest of their careers."
Sinisa Mihajlovic and Zdenek Zeman are reportedly the early front-runners to replace Rossi at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.
Serie A outfit Chievo have parted company with first team coach Giuseppe Sannino after just four months at the helm.
The 56-year-old was charged with the task of improving on a 12th-placed finish last term, having been appointed as the successor to Eugenio Corini who departed in May.
However, the club have endured a miserable start to the season, winning just once in 12 Serie A fixtures.
That poor return has seen Chievo slip to the bottom of the league, with just six points garnered from the campaign thus far.
A 0-0 draw at home to Milan on Sunday extended the club's winless run in the league to eight, and proved to be Sannino's last game in charge.
"Chievo Verona have announced the dismissal of first team coach Giuseppe Sannino and his technical staff," a statement on the club's official website read.
"The company offers the coach and his staff the sincerest thanks for the commitment, professionalism and dedication always shown."
Chievo's next opportunity to get their season back on track comes with a visit to Verona after the international break.
Serie A side Chievo have confirmed the return of Eugenio Corini as coach, after the exit of Giuseppe Sannino on Tuesday.
Sannino was able to win just one of 12 Serie A games this season after replacing Corini, who left the club in May.
The last game of Sannino's tenure saw Chievo draw 0-0 against Milan at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi, a result that saw the hosts' winless run extended to eight matches.
Corini will tasked with moving the club off the bottom of the table, having led them to a 12th-placed finish in Serie A last term.
In a statement, the club explained: "AC Chievo Verona announces that it has entrusted the conduct of the First Team to Eugenio Corini.
"The agreement is reached on a biennial basis (two-year deal)."
The first game of Corini's second stint in charge will see Chievo take on local rivals Verona on November 23.
