Allegri starts Beukema against Lazio as Di Lorenzo misses out

Allegri is back on the bench after serving his suspension, and for the visit of league leaders Lazio he has picked a side built around midfield. It comes four days after the 4-1 in Porto.

Two expected absences

Both big absences had been announced, and both are confirmed. Di Lorenzo has a tear in the adductor longus of his left thigh and has only just started his recovery. Olivera is back training with the group but is still listed as unavailable.

Allegri has not tried to replace them like for like. He has picked his best players instead. Beukema comes into the defence alongside Rrahmani and Marín. The bold call is in midfield, where De Bruyne, McTominay, Anguissa, Gilmour and Vergara all start together.

Control first

The first thing this line-up says is that Napoli must not lose control of the game. After six goals conceded in two matches, against Juventus and in Porto, that makes sense. But it cannot turn into a reason to sit back.

Lazio are top with 28 points. Napoli are tenth with 14, exactly half that. At the Maradona, this is not a game to manage. With five midfielders of this quality, the ball has to be Napoli's, and it has to reach Højlund and Politano rather than go round in circles.

These are Allegri's choices, and from Sunday 8 November he answers for them in full. He had four days to digest Porto, and this team is his reply. What the pitch has to tell us is whether it is a plan to win or just a way to avoid getting beaten.