Scudetto holders Inter, struggling with injuries and coming off a heavy Champions League defeat, face a crucial test at Lazio as they battle to stay in touch with Serie A leaders Atalanta.
Atalanta top the standings with 34 points, two ahead of Antonio Conte's Napoli, while Inter and Fiorentina are both one point further on 31.
Simone Inzaghi's side are reeling from Tuesday's 1-0 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen and remain without injured defensive pillars Francesco Acerbi and Benjamin Pavard ahead of Monday's visit to his former club.
Inter's 573-minute run without a goal conceded in the Champions League ended when Nordi Mukiele scored for Leverkusen in the 90th minute on Tuesday.
That capped a miserable trip to Germany for Inter, who failed to register a single shot on target in a Champions League match for the first time since February 2022 (against Liverpool) and for the first time since 2003-04. the first round of the competition.
Lazio, meanwhile, have recorded back-to-back wins over Napoli in the league and cup, with the Biancocelesti facing Ajax in the Europa League on Thursday before returning to Serie A.
Inter could be six points off the top by the time they take the field for the biggest match, with Atalanta aiming for a piece of history at Cagliari on Saturday.
Gian Piero Gasperini's Dea side have won nine consecutive Serie A matches to equal their club record, having also won nine in a row between February and July 2020. Another win would make this their best ever winning run in the competition.
This is only the second time that Atalanta has topped the table at the end of a matchday in Serie A since the competition returned to 20 teams in 2004-05, having only managed to do so after the fifth matchday in 2022-2023.
Until now, Atalanta had never been at the top for as many as fifteen games in a campaign.
They are heavy favorites to continue their winning streak against 15th-placed Cagliari, with Gasperini experiencing no new injury problems. Giorgio Scalvini is out after suffering a shoulder injury ahead of the 3-2 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid, while Gianluca Scamacca and Juan Cuadrado are out for extended periods.
While both Inter and Atalanta were defeated in Europe this week, Juventus claimed a huge result by beating Manchester City 2-0, thanks to goals from Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie.
The Bianconeri's victory came despite only having 31% of the ball. Only once before (since 2003-04) have they won a Champions League match while enjoying lower possession (27% against Chelsea in September 2021).
In Serie A, however, it was a case of goalless possession for Juventus, who remain unbeaten but drew nine of their 15 games, including each of the last three, to finish in sixth place.
“Nothing bothers me. I completely accept all fair judgments, but I will not comment on this story,” said Juve coach Thiago Motta, when asked about criticism of their domestic form.
“I'm only focused on my job: improving the team and helping my players. The rest doesn't count for much.”
With last-placed Venezia traveling to Turin on Saturday, Motta can be confident he can maintain the feel-good factor built up in mid-week.
Juventus have historically dominated this match, winning 10 of their last 12 Serie A matches against the newly promoted side.
Surprise package Fiorentina, meanwhile, are on an eight-match winning streak in Serie A, and they could make history when they travel to Bologna on Sunday – led by former Viola boss Vincenzo Italiano.
A win for Raffaele Palladino's visitors would set a new club record for consecutive wins in Serie A, overhauling the old record set in 1960.
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