The early season front runners for the Italian Serie A title has to be AC Milan and Napoli with both teams stretching their unbeaten run this weekend with hard fought wins.
AC Milan needed a 67th minute penalty scored by veteran striker Olivier Giroud to pick up all three points against Sampdoria, while Napoli had to wait till one minute from full time before clinching all three points against Spezia thanks to Giacomo Raspadori.
Both teams are the only team unbeaten in the league after six games but Atalanta could join them if they pick up a win later today against Cremonese. All eyes is however more on both teams when they face each other next week.
Ahead of the game, both teams will be without their star players in this campaign with Victor Osimhen injured for Napoli and Milan also without suspended forward Rafael Leao who was sent off in today’s game.
Asked about whose absence will be felt the most, coach of AC Milan Stefano Pioli said Leao will be a big miss than the Nigerian with Leao’s potential replacement Ante Rebic also not available. He made this known immediately after the win over Sampdoria.
“Leao and Osimhen absent on Sunday, who loses the most between us and Napoli? Both teams can lose a lot. I honestly think we may lose more of us, because Rebic’s absence is also likely in the same position as Leao. Now we recover our energies, it has been a very busy week”, he said.
” We have a very heavy Champions League match for the group standings, let’s think about that. Then we will try to find solutions to try to make the best of the Napoli match, which is a direct match and which is a great team. We will have our qualities and our characteristics to put in place. It is clear that Rafael is becoming a decisive player for our attacking phase, but I think we will find other solutions, probably with other positions and characteristics ”, he concluded .