Trending in very different directions, Serie A leaders Lazio will visit a faltering Napoli side on Sunday, as Stadio Maradona hosts the lunchtime kickoff. 

While the home side are struggling both in Europe and Italy's top flight, their southern rivals have posted nine wins from 10 and are yet to taste defeat in the league. 

Match preview

Sparking crisis talks between the coaching staff and club president Aurelio Di Laurentiis, Napoli are in danger of missing this season's objectives with several months left to play.

On Wednesday night, the Partenopei suffered a chastening 4-1 defeat to Porto, meaning they have lost seven of their last eight Champions League away games. Having finished 30th in the 36-team table last term, they currently sit 27th - inside the elimination zone.

A former finalist with Juventus, head coach Massimiliano Allegri has personally lost nine of his last 11 matches at Europe's elite level, and he is also under pressure for some dire domestic results. 

Napoli lie eighth in Serie A after last week's 2-0 defeat to Juve, and with a 14-point deficit to surprise leaders Lazio they are surely out of the title race.

Defeat this weekend would result in their worst start since 2007, and Allegri cannot expect any favours from his former midfield general at AC Milan.

While Gennaro Gattuso has lost all five of their meetings in management, recent events suggest that trend could soon end.

Including a frantic 3-3 draw in the Derby del Sole, Napoli have gone six games without a clean sheet while conceding 13 goals, and they must now host Roma's fierce city rivals.

Precedent is certainly on Lazio's side, having won on all of their last four visits to Naples and prevailed in five of the last eight meetings overall.

More pertinently, the capital club have just won six consecutive Serie A games, leaving their more optimistic fans dreaming of a first Scudetto since the 1999-2000 campaign.

Gattuso will not be drawn on such talk, even though his side boast the division's joint-best defensive record and have scored at least twice in their last eight matches. 

This century, only four teams have previously hit 28 points after 10 matchdays, and that tally has lifted them three clear of reigning champions Inter Milan.

Along the way, Lazio have also had 12 different goalscorers, with Gustav Isaksen finding the net four times in his last five appearances.

The Danish winger was on target in last week's 2-1 win over Cagliari, as the Biancocelesti capitalised on Inter's Milan derby defeat and took sole possession of top spot.

Now, Gattuso will return to a club where he won the Coppa Italia but was subsequently sacked, seeking an incredible sixth straight away win in Serie A.

Napoli Serie A form:

Napoli form (all competitions):

Lazio Serie A form:

Team News

Adding to the sense of crisis in Naples, Allegri has been hampered by a long injury list for several weeks.

Alessandro Buongiorno, David Neres, Costantino Favasuli, Alisson Santos, Leonardo Spinazzola, Benoit Badiashile and Stanislav Lobotka are all unavailable, while two full-backs are facing a race against time.

Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Mathias Olivera both sustained muscular injuries last weekend, when Luca Marianucci was sent off against Juventus and incurred a one-match ban.

Despite his advancing years and chequered fitness history, Kevin De Bruyne may be asked to go again, having scored three goals in his last five league games.

Without Europe to consider, Gattuso has made relatively few changes so far, and it should be a settled Lazio side that takes to the field on Sunday.

However, he will have to replace captain Mattia Zaccagni, who could be ruled out until next month with a thigh strain.

Albert Gudmundsson is still sidelined after dislocating his shoulder on Iceland duty, but with Adam Marusic and Nicolo Rovella finally back in full training, everyone else should be available.

Napoli possible starting lineup:

Meret; Beukema, Rrahmani, Marin; Politano, Anguissa, De Bruyne, McTominay, Vergara; Giovane, Hojlund

Lazio possible starting lineup:

Mandas; Floriani Mussolini, Sutalo, Provstgaard, Tavares; Frattesi, Belahyane, Taylor; Isaksen, Pinamonti, Noslin

We say: Napoli 1-2 Lazio 

Struggling in Serie A, facing another early exit from Europe and burdened by a huge absence list, Napoli are set to lose three games on the spin.

While Lazio's stellar run will surely end soon, they can exploit their hosts' shaky defence and post a seventh straight win.

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