Serie A still has no clear front-runner with Napoli and Roma level on top

ROME (AP) — Nearly a quarter of the way through Serie A there’s still no clear front-runner.

Defending champion Napoli and Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma are level on top, three points ahead of the two Milan clubs.

Nobody is counting out Inter Milan, which has a deeper bench than any of the other contenders, or AC Milan, which isn’t competing in Europe and will be more rested as the season wears on.

The parity is nothing new.

Serie A has become the most unpredictable of Europe’s five biggest domestic soccer leagues with four different champions over the last six seasons, with last season marking the second time in four years that the title race went down to the last round.

Key matchups

Sunday’s meeting between Milan and Roma at the San Siro could add some clarity to the title race.

Napoli could be tested, too, with a visit by fifth-placed Como on Saturday.

With Luciano Spalletti expected to be hired to replace the fired Igor Tudor at Juventus, the former Napoli and Italy coach could make his debut with the Bianconeri at Cremonese this weekend.

Juventus ended an eight-match winless run by beating Udinese under interim coach Massimo Brambilla on Wednesday.

Facing Cremonese could be complicated. The promoted club is exceeding expectations in eighth place — with only one loss.

Meanwhile, Stefano Pioli at winless Fiorentina and Patrick Vieira at last-placed Genoa risk losing their jobs if their clubs can’t beat Lecce and Sassuolo, respectively.

Players to watch

The arrival of former Leicester striker Jamie Vardy attracted attention to Cremonese at the start of the season. But it’s been Federico Bonazzoli who has emerged as the club’s leading forward.

Bonazzoli scored twice in a 2-0 win at Genoa on Wednesday, his first coming with a bicycle kick, to raise his total to four goals this season.

Hakan Calhanoglu leads the league with five goals for Inter after his brace in a 2-0 win over Fiorentina.

Out of action

Napoli midfielder Kevin De Bruyne could be out until March after undergoing surgery to repair his injured right thigh.

He joins Belgium teammate Romelu Lukaku on Napoli’s long-term injury list.

Lukaku injured his left thigh in a preseason game and could return in December.

Off the field

Serie A is still waiting for the Asian Football Confederation to approve holding a game between Milan and Como in Perth, Australia, in February.

Both Milan and Como fans have voiced opposition to traveling so far for a game between clubs situated less than an hour apart.

Also recently, Serie A president Ezio Simonelli said he supports moving evening matches to 8 p.m. starts instead of the current 8:45 p.m. kickoff times.

“Let’s allow kids,” Simonelli said, “the chance to watch an entire game.”

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