Napoli try to maintain their perfect start to the season and have Dries Mertens up against Edin Dzeko’s Roma in what should be a Serie A classic.
It kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT), follow the build-up and action on the LIVEBLOG.
The Partenopei have had a record-breaking opening to this campaign, winning all seven games and becoming the first to do so while scoring at least 25 goals.
Napoli try to maintain their perfect start to the season and have Dries Mertens up against Edin Dzeko’s Roma in what should be a Serie A classic.
It kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT), follow the build-up and action on the LIVEBLOG.
The Partenopei have had a record-breaking opening to this campaign, winning all seven games and becoming the first to do so while scoring at least 25 goals.
Despite Arkadiusz Milik’s new anterior cruciate ligament injury, the rest of the squad is available and Coach Maurizio Sarri relies on his remarkable trio: Mertens, Lorenzo Insigne and Jose Callejon.
Jorginho pulls the midfield strings with Marek Hamsik and Allan, benching Piotr Zielinski.
Roma have a lot of injury problems to contend with, missing Kevin Strootman, Gregoire Defrel, Stephan El Shaarawy, Patrik Schick and Emerson Palmieri.
Diego Perotti, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Daniele De Rossi have shaken off knocks, but are nowhere near 100 per cent fit, so it’s a risk so close to Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Chelsea.
Federico Fazio was away on international duty in Argentina, so is rested in favour of Juan Jesus in defence, while Alessandro Florenzi is bumped up to the right side of the trident attack.
Dzeko won the Capocannoniere title last season, beating Mertens by just one goal, so it’s a battle of the top scorers in Rome.
The Giallorossi have really found their feet lately, winning five competitive games on the trot by scoring 14 goals and conceding two.
Coaches Sarri and Eusebio Di Francesco both play 4-3-3, but have very different interpretations, albeit focusing on attack, possession and entertainment.
The record between the tacticians is perfectly even: three wins each and three draws, scoring 14 goals apiece.
Napoli won here 2-1 last season with a Mertens brace and amazing last-gasp Pepe Reina save, but that was one of only 10 competitive victories they had in Rome, along with 28 draws and 32 defeats.
Roma: Alisson; Peres, Manolas, Juan Jesus, Kolarov; Pellegrini, De Rossi, Nainggolan; Florenzi, Dzeko, Perotti
Roma bench: Skorupski, Lobont, Karsdorp, Fazio, Nura, Hector Moreno, Gonalons, Gerson, Under
Napoli: Reina; Hysaj, Albiol, Koulibaly, Ghoulam; Allan, Jorginho, Hamsik; Callejon, Mertens, Insigne
Napoli bench: Sepe, Rafael, Maggio, Maksimovic, Chiriches, Mario Rui, Rog, Diawara, Zielinski, Ounas, Giaccherini
Ref: Rocchi