Inter Milan and Lazio are locked level on 22 points at the top of the table
Roma and Milan are in the chasing pack
Venezia are looking up from bottom of the pile
The battle at both ends of the table is really heating up in Serie A, with league leaders Lazio facing strugglers Sassuolo and reigning champions Inter Milan taking on bottom side Venezia in the pick of the midweek clashes of Week 9.
Sassuolo vs Lazio (Tuesday – 5.30pm)
Key Stats
Lazio have won seven and drawn one of their first eight matches
Sassuolo have lost three and drawn one of their last four games
Team news
Ismael Kone, Fedde Leysen, Jay Idzes and Daniel Boloca are all absent for the hosts with injury, while Arijanet Muric and Stefano Turati will battle it out to feature between the sticks.
Albert Gudmundsson is set to miss out, while Andrea Pinamonti, Adam Marusic and Nicolo Rovella face late fitness tests for Lazio.
Need to know
Lazio have had their best ever start to a Serie A campaign in the three points for a win era, surpassing Sven-Goran Eriksson's title-winning team of 1999/2000.
Sassuolo are unbeaten at home but this is by far their biggest challenge yet and they have lost five of the last seven meetings between these two.
Score prediction: Sassuolo 1-2 Lazio (7/1 with LiveScore Bet)
Roma vs Cagliari (Tuesday – 7.45pm)
Key Stats
Roma are unbeaten after eight games of the new Serie A campaign
Cagliari have failed to win any of their last 11 away games against these opponents, losing nine of those
Team news
Manu Kone, Mile Svilar and Lorenzo Pellegrini have been ruled out for Roma, while Pablo Dybala faces a late fitness test. Gian Piero Gasperini may also choose to shuffle the pack considering his side's busy schedule.
Riyad Idrissi, Yael Trepy and Mattia Felici are out for Cagliari, while Harry Winks is a doubt with a back injury.
Need to know
Roma have only lost one of their last 17 home games within 90 minutes and that was a recent Champions League defeat to Real Madrid.
Cagliari won their first three home games of the season but shipped four in defeat to Monza on their last road trip.
Score prediction: Roma 2-0 Cagliari (5/1 with LiveScore Bet)
Torino vs Como (Tuesday – 7.45pm)
Key Stats
Como have won three of their five away games
Torino have lost the last three head-to-heads by an aggregate score of 12-1
Team news
Emirhan Ilkhan and Niccolo Fortini face late fitness tests for Torino and Ricardo Rodriguez is expected to remain sidelined.
Trevor Chalobah, Assane Diao and Jesus Rodriguez are out for Como through injury, while Mattia Liverali and Moise Kean are doubts for this clash.
Need to know
Both of these teams have won three in a row, with Torino turning around a poor start to the Serie A campaign and Como continuing their impressive league and European efforts.
The home side have the worst defensive record in the top half of the table however and that is a concern against a free-flowing Cesc Fabregas outfit.
Score prediction: Torino 1-3 Como (10/1 with LiveScore Bet)
Parma vs Udinese (Wednesday – 5.30pm)
Key Stats
Parma have scored just five goals in eight league games, the fewest in the league
Udinese are on their longest top-flight losing streak since 2018
Team news
Parma have a clean bill of health for this clash, one of the few mercies they have received in a tough season.
Meanwhile, Oumar Solet and Nicolo Zaniolo remain doubts for Udinese.
Need to know
Alberto Gilardino, the new Parma manager, is still searching for his first point after his side lost 2-1 to high-flying Lazio at the weekend.
Udinese have lost six on the bounce and could fall into the relegation zone with a defeat in this clash. Manager Kosta Runjaic is under severe pressure and a loss here could see him depart.
Score prediction: Parma 0-1 Udinese (13/2 with LiveScore Bet)
AC Milan vs Bologna (Wednesday – 5.30pm)
Key Stats
AC Milan are aiming for a fourth straight league win at home
Bologna have lost seven of the last ten head-to-heads
Team news
Samuel Chukwueze, Mattia Gabbia, Alexis Saelemaekers, Adrien Rabiot and Filippo Terracciano are out for the Rossoneri, while Diego Moreira, Mario Gila and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are also doubtful.
With a Milan derby looming at the weekend, Ruben Amroim could choose to rest some of his starters.
Roberto Piccoli, Emil Holm and Riccardo Orsolini are sidelined for Bologna.
Need to know
AC Milan have conceded just seven goals in their eight games and are one of just four unbeaten teams in Serie A as a result.
New Bologna manager Raffaele Palladino is aiming to become just the third manager of the club to win their first three away games.
Score prediction: AC Milan 2-0 Bologna (6/1 with LiveScore Bet)
Venezia vs Inter Milan (Wednesday – 5.30pm)
Key Stats
Venezia have lost seven of their eight league matches
Inter Milan have scored 23 goals in their seven wins
Team news
Venezia captain Gianluca Busio is back from injury, but Marin Sverko, Bartol Franjic and Andrea Adorante are all still out and Thierry Correia remains absent.
Lautaro Martinez remains out for the visitors, joining Luis Henrique, John Stones, Curtis Jones and Benjamin Pavard in the treatment room. Marcus Thuram may be rested.
Need to know
Venezia have shipped at least twice in seven of their last nine games and have lost seven of the last eight head-to-heads.
Inter needed two goals in injury time against Fiorentina to continue their run of victories to start the season and keep them top of the table.
Score prediction: Venezia 0-4 Inter Milan (12/1 with LiveScore Bet)
Monza vs Napoli (Wednesday – 7.45pm)
Key Stats
Monza have picked up six of their seven points at home
Napoli are on their worst start to a Serie A season since 2009/10
Team news
Monza's Jan Ziolkowski and captain Matteo Pessina remain out and Yvan Maye is a doubt.
Benoit Badiashile, Alessandro Buongiorno, David Neres, Costantino Favasuli and Alisson Santos are out for Napoli, although Amir Rrahmani looks set to recover from an illness.
Need to know
Monza were beaten 3-2 by Torino last time out, but they have won two of their last four Serie A games.
Napoli surrendered a 2-0 and 3-2 lead against Roma at the weekend to see them fall to 11 points off the league leaders, with pressure building on Max Allegri.
Score prediction: Monza 1-2 Napoli (13/2 with LiveScore Bet)
Genoa vs Juventus (Wednesday – 7.45pm)
Key Stats
Genoa have taken all of their points at home this season
Juventus have won the last four head-to-heads without conceding
Team news
Genoa will be without Djibril Sow, Elias Havel and Lorenzo Venturino while Samuel Wiafe is a doubt.
Francisco Conceicao, Kenan Yildiz, Khephren Thuram, Jeff Ekhator, Zeki Celik, Nico Gonzalez, Kamil Grabara and captain Manuel Locatelli are all injured for Juventus.
Need to know
Genoa have a poor record against these opponents, failing to score in the last five meetings.
Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti is under pressure though, with a 2-0 weekend win over Lecce only slightly relieving that.
Score prediction: Genoa 0-1 Juventus (5/1 with LiveScore Bet)
Frosinone vs Lecce (Thursday – 5.30pm)
Key Stats
Frosinone have only lost one of their last seven league games
Lecce have lost five of their last seven
Team news
Florian Grillitsch remains out for Frosinone and they could make some changes in this busy spell for the team.
Kialonda Gaspar was sent off for Lecce against Juventus and will miss this game as a result.
Need to know
Frosinone have been the most exciting team to watch in Serie A this season, with their last two games producing 14 goals. They are chasing a first-ever fourth consecutive Serie A victory.
Lecce have blown hot and cold this season, but it has been more of the latter than the former recently.
Score prediction: Frosinone 2-2 Lecce (19/2 with LiveScore Bet)
Fiorentina vs Atalanta (Thursday – 7.45pm)
Key Stats
Fiorentina have failed to win any of their last seven home games
Atalanta have won just one of their last six league games
Team news
Marin Pongracic was withdrawn for Fiorentina against Inter at the weekend and looks unlikely to feature.
Atalanta's Raoul Bellanova joins Franck Kessie in the treatment room, while Kamaldeen Sulemana faces a late fitness test.
Need to know
Fiorentina have picked up just four points from their first eight games while Atalanta have also disappointed, with their tally of ten points their worst since the 2018/19 season.
La Dea have lost their last four away games and will be hoping to turn things around on their travels against these struggling hosts.
Score prediction: Fiorentina 1-1 Atalanta (23/4 with LiveScore Bet)
