Collovati blasts noon kickoff for Serie A title clash, claims fixture scheduling distorts competition

Roma travel to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona to face Napoli, coached by Massimiliano Allegri, on Saturday 24 October at 18:00 in the big match of Serie A's eighth matchday. Roma return to league action after a comfortable win in the Champions League, a 4-0 victory over Slovan Bratislava, and arrive on the back of a 2-0 win over Genoa in their last league outing. Gian Piero Gasperini's side are unbeaten in Serie A this season, with 17 points from seven matchdays, third place in the table and just three goals conceded. Napoli are in a very different position, stuck on 10 points after a surprising 1-0 defeat at Venezia. They have, however, regained some confidence in Europe with a hard-fought 4-3 win over Bodø/Glimt. On the Napoli side, Allegri is expected to line up in a 4-3-3, with Milinkovic-Savic favoured over Meret in goal. Buongiorno is out, while Rrahmani is a doubt after a fever, with Badiashile and Rafa Marin ready to step in. In midfield De Bruyne, Anguissa and McTominay start, with Lobotka the alternative. Højlund returns to lead the attack, flanked by Politano and either Lang or Giovane. David Neres, Alisson Santos and Favasuli are absent. For Roma, Gasperini has Cristante back, although it is still unclear whether he will start from the outset. Svilar, Koné, Dybala and Pellegrini remain out, so Gollini is confirmed in goal. Mancini, N'Dicka and Hermoso are favoured at the back, with Lulli and Wesley on the flanks. De Roon and Pisilli are ahead in the race for central midfield places, while Malen returns up front, supported by Soulé and Cristante, with Mora the only alternative to the former Atalanta man. The match will be broadcast exclusively on DAZN, with a major change: the Maradona clash will also be available free of charge to non-subscribers. Viewers only need to register on the DAZN platform without taking out a subscription to access the live stream. Coverage starts at 17:00, with kick-off at 18:00 on Saturday 24 October. Pierluigi Pardo will commentate, alongside technical analyst Fabio Bazzani. Updated odds make Roma slight favourites. A Napoli win is priced on average between 2.75 and 2.90, a draw around 3.30-3.50, and a Roma win between 2.35 and 2.45. The gap is minimal, suggesting bookmakers expect a very balanced contest. Over and Under 2.5 goals markets are practically level. Roma have an impressive defensive record, conceding just three goals in seven matchdays and keeping clean sheets in their three league away games at Lecce, Torino and Como. Napoli, however, have scored in every Serie A game played at the Maradona. The most popular predicted correct score is 1-1.

Napoli and Roma have met 156 times in Serie A, and the historical record favours the giallorossi. Roma have won 53 of those matches to Napoli's 48, with 55 draws, and have scored more than 190 league goals against their southern rivals. The fixture, known as the "Derby del Sole", has produced balanced contests, heavy Napoli wins, high-scoring games and tense draws, and it has established itself as a classic of Italian football. The two clubs have never met in the Europa League or the Champions League. They have, however, faced each other in other European competitions of the past, such as the Coppa delle Fiere, where the head-to-head record stands at two meetings with one win apiece. The statistics also highlight the individual duels that have defined the fixture. Roma's leading scorer in the series is Dino Da Costa, who netted 8 goals against Napoli. Edin Džeko and Francesco Totti follow with 7 goals each, and Amedeo Amadei has 6. For Napoli, Dries Mertens is the most prolific, with 9 goals against the Giallorossi, ahead of Antonio Vojak and José Altafini on 7 apiece. The article also looks at Massimiliano Allegri's long record against Roma. His meetings with the club span almost two decades and include spells on the benches of Cagliari, Milan and Juventus. Overall, Allegri has faced Roma in 30 official Serie A matches. His first match against the club as a coach came on 31 August 2008, when Cagliari drew 1-1 with Roma at the Stadio Olimpico. Daniele De Rossi scored for Roma and Joaquín Larrivey for the Sardinian side. Among the most memorable meetings was a 1-0 Roma win at the Olimpico in February 2013, decided by a strike from outside the box by Francesco Totti against his former club Milan, as well as the hard-fought Scudetto clashes from Allegri's years at Juventus. The piece also notes players and coaches who have worn the shirts of both clubs since the 2000s. They include coach Luciano Spalletti, midfielders Amadou Diawara and Morgan De Sanctis (in goal), and strikers Daniel Fonseca, Claudio Caniggia and Andrea Carnevale, as well as defender Kostas Manolas.

Napoli and Roma meet at the Maradona in a big-match fixture, and bookmakers have published their odds for the game. The match is a significant test for Roma on their trip to Naples.