Juventus v Napoli: both on 14 points, and a draw helps neither

Juventus and Napoli both have 14 points. They meet at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday 1 November at 20:45 CET (19:45 UK, 14:45 ET), and the winner leapfrogs the other. A draw leaves everything as it is.

A draw suits neither side. Juventus, under Spalletti, come off a 2-0 win in Genoa and several days in pre-match camp at the Continassa (their training base). One point would not change the mood around their bench. For Napoli it would mean staying seventh and watching others pull away, in a season where Allegri's stated target is fourth place. Fourth is currently Como, on 23.

There is an irony that nobody in Turin misses. Allegri, the man of the "corto muso" (winning by the narrowest margin), is the one who must win, and he cannot touch the game from the stand. Before the match he paid his counterpart a compliment that doubles as a warning: "They are writing Juve off, but I don't believe it. In difficult moments teams pull together and Spalletti is excellent: he knows exactly what to do." An injured opponent is the most awkward one.

Napoli arrive unbeaten in three: a 4-3 win over Bodo Glimt, a 3-3 draw with Roma and a 4-1 win at Monza, with goals from Højlund, Varela, Politano, Marín and De Bruyne. That is three games full of goals, and the fanbase is split. Some see a Napoli that is finally braver. Others look at the seven goals conceded in those three games and keep their doubts. Allegri himself admitted that "in some moments of the game we lack the defensive phase", and captain Di Lorenzo said: "defensively we have conceded a few goals."

The defence is the problem on the night. Buongiorno, Badiashile, Spinazzola and Favasuli are all out. Rrahmani, who had flu and is still sore in the sternum after Monza, has been called up but is not certain to recover. With him Napoli concede about 0.7 goals a game, without him about 1.7. If he cannot play, Marianucci partners Marín, and Marianucci has not yet started a game this season.

Without Lobotka in midfield, the only certain starters are Meret in goal and De Bruyne from the first minute.

Landucci, on the bench in place of the suspended Allegri, has a heavy night: he must lead the team in a game that can change the table. That is not an accusation, but we will be asking it anyway after the final whistle: how good is a team that wins when it scores four and struggles when it has to stop one?

There is no let-up afterwards. Porto v Napoli is on Wednesday 4 November at 21:00 CET at the Estádio do Dragão in the Champions League, where Napoli are 22nd with 3 points. On Sunday 8 November at 12:30 CET, Lazio visit the Maradona, with Allegri back on the bench. First, though, Turin: only a win will do.