Serie A: Napoli v Milan opens matchday nine, Conte seeks form, Allegri a lift | OneFootball

Serie A returns to the pitch just two days after the Lazio vs Juventus match, and does so with two high-stakes clashes at the top of the table. Napoli and Milan, separated by just one point, will kick off the ninth round of the championship.

Serie A, Napoli and Milan open the ninth round: Conte seeks confirmation, Allegri looks for a turning point

At 18:30, the Italian champions take the field at the “Via del Mare” against Lecce, while at 20:45 the Rossoneri will be in the spotlight at the “Gewiss Stadium” in Bergamo for their match against Atalanta. Two different games, but both crucial for the future of their respective coaches.

Napoli at Lecce: Conte aims to confirm the revival, but without De Bruyne

After their home win against Inter, Antonio Conte’s Napoli is called upon to maintain momentum and certify the end of the crisis that had slowed the champions’ run. However, the coach will have to do without Kevin De Bruyne, who suffered a high-grade lesion to his right femoral biceps: the Belgian will only return to the pitch in 2026.

Good news comes from Castel Volturno, where Rrahmani and Hojlund are back in the squad. The Danish striker, however, is expected to start from the bench: Conte is considering a 4-3-3 with Lucca, Neres, and Politano as the attacking trio. In defense, there’s a battle between Juan Jesus and Buongiorno to partner Beukema, while Rrahmani will be rested for the match against Como.

On the other side, Di Francesco’s Lecce is hunting for survival points after their defeat to Udinese. The Giallorossi coach is expected to confirm the starting eleven from the previous match, relying on the Tete Morente-Stulic-Pierotti trio. Fun fact: this will be the eleventh meeting between the two coaches. Di Francesco has beaten Conte only once, in 2017, when his Roma defeated Chelsea 3-0 in the Champions League.

Atalanta-Milan: Allegri seeks answers to stay in the Champions League zone

In the evening, Massimiliano Allegri’s Milan faces Atalanta in Bergamo, a team looking to bounce back. The Rossoneri coach describes the clash as “a direct battle for fourth place,” but the stakes go beyond the standings: after a patchy period, consistency and solidity are needed.

Juric’s Atalanta, coming off four consecutive draws, is aiming to rediscover their scoring touch. The attack will be entrusted to Krstovic, Lookman, and De Ketelaere—the Belgian who opened the scoring in last year’s 2-1 win over Milan. No revolution is expected: the Croatian coach will stick to his system and has ended tensions with Carnesecchi, publicly praising the goalkeeper.

Milan, on the other hand, welcomes back Tomori in defense alongside Gabbia and Pavlovic. With Estupiñan and Rabiot still unavailable, Allegri will field a five-man midfield of Bartesaghi, Ricci, Modric, Fofana, and Saelemaekers. Up front, there’s an open battle between Nkunku and Gimenez to partner Leao, with the Frenchman currently favored. Loftus-Cheek is also back and will start from the bench.

There’s also a record to overturn: Milan hasn’t won in Bergamo since October 2021, the season that ended with the Scudetto. That’s one more reason for Allegri, determined to reignite the Champions League race.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.