By Tommy Lund
(Reuters) – Serie A leaders Napoli host Sassuolo on Saturday aiming to extend a club record run of 12 straight wins in all competitions after a 3-0 victory over Rangers in the Champions League on Wednesday.
They have also gone 15 domestic league games unbeaten, a run that started with a 6-1 win at Sassuolo back in April.
“Right now, we must first look ahead to Sassuolo, who are quality opponents with a lot of speed,” coach Luciano Spalletti said on Thursday ahead of the clash with the mid-table side.
“The team know that to do things right you have to always push yourselves to the maximum. The boys have found the right rhythm and know that this is the path they need to take.”
Napoli are three points clear of AC Milan, who visit Torino on Sunday, and five ahead of Lazio and Atalanta after 11 games.
Stefano Pioli’s Milan need a win to keep the pressure on the leaders but Torino are not easy opponents with Ivan Juric’s side earning an impressive 2-1 victory at Udinese last time out.
Maurizio Sarri’s third-placed Lazio will look to extend their run of six clean sheets in Serie A when they host mid-table Salernitana on Sunday. Their top-flight record is seven.
Serie A strugglers Sampdoria have had a good spell with a shootout victory over Ascoli to reach the Coppa Italia last 16 and their first league win of the season at Cremonese on Monday.
However, they face a tough trip to seventh-placed Inter Milan on Saturday. Simone Inzaghi’s side have won their last five Serie A meetings with Sampdoria at the Meazza.
Romelu Lukaku marked his long-awaited return from injury with a goal after coming on in the 4-0 home win over Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League and might be fit to start.
Juventus, who are 10 points off the pace in eighth, will be looking to forget the humiliation of being knocked out of the Champions League on Wednesday when they visit Lecce on Saturday.
Although they lost 4-3 to Benfica in a thriller at Estadio da Luz, Massimiliano Allegri’s Juve side have won their last two league games without conceding a goal.
Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma, who are fifth and trail Napoli by seven points, will play at second-bottom Verona on Monday.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Ken Ferris)
