Rome (AP) – Luka Modric and Kevin de Bruin We’re getting used to going to each other in the Champions League. Two midfield standouts will hold their first meeting in Sanshiro on Sunday Serie a Since the recent move to Italy.
When Modric’s AC Milan hosts De Bruyne’s Napoli, it will also be a showdown between the two teams performing best in the Italian league.
At 40 years old, Modric helped turn Milan into a potential title challenger. De Bruyne, 34, has helped defending champion Napoli remain a team.
Napoli aims to expand the perfect start, while Milan is aiming for his fifth consecutive victory in all competitions.
Modric’s move to Milan came after 13 seasons at Real Madrid. De Bruyne spent 10 years in Manchester City.
For the club and country, Modrick and DeBruin have met 13 times, with DeBruin’s team winning five wins, Modrick’s team winning four and four draws.
Both players had an immediate impact on Serie A
Modric scored Milan’s 1-0 victory over Bologna provided assists in Lexe’s victory, playing 335 minutes in four Serie A matches.
“He always knows in front of someone else’s place where the ball ends,” Milan coach Masimiliano Alegri said.
De Bruyne scored twice in the four innings for Serie A Games and seamlessly took part in the stellar Napoli Midfield featuring Scott McTominay, Stanislav Lobotka and Frank Anguissa. He also provided important leadership for Southern Club’s return to the Champions League.
“He was humbled into our club. We needed someone like him,” Naples coach Antonio Conte said.
Key Match Up
It’s not just Modric and De Bruyne. Milan vs. Napoli also marks a meeting between coaches who described 11 of the past 15 Serie A titles.
However, Alegri and Conte had not met for 12 years – months after Conte’s Juventus defeated Alegri’s Milan in October 2013, Alegri was fired by Milan, and Conte won his third title with Juventus. After that, Allegri traded Juventus’ contes after that season, leading Bianconeri to five straight titles.
Conte went on to coach Italy, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Tottenham after winning Serie A again in his first season in Napoli. Allegri stints for Juventus before returning to Milan this season.
For Allegri’s Milan, the Naples game begins a difficult two-week period, including a visit to Juventus the following weekend.
On Saturday, Juventus hosts Atalanta and the undefeated Cremonese Visit Como.
Players to watch
Inter Milan centre forward Pio Esposito has yet to score in Serie A, but the 20-year-old has earned praise for his physical play and is being touted as a step forward for Italy’s next great center.
The 1.91m (6ft 3) Esposito, who faced Sassoro last weekend, used his physical presence to hold down the defender and approached three goals.
“He knows how to do a little bit of everything,” Intercoach Christian Chibb said.
On Saturday, Inter will visit Cagliari, featuring Pio’s older brother, Sebastiano Esposito. Another brother, Salvatore, plays the midfielder of Spezia in Serie B
US forward Christian Purisic He scored five goals in six matches this season in all Milan tournaments.
From action
Milan’s winger Rafael Leon had suffered a calf injury since the Italian Cup match ended on August 17th, but was able to return to Naples, where he was off the bench.
Paulo Dybala, the often-damaged playmaker for Roma, is suffering from muscle problems due to his match against Hellas Verona on Sunday. However, Gialorossi worked well without him and won Roman Derby He defeated Nice in the Europa League on Wednesday last weekend.
From the field
The Milan city council was scheduled to begin discussions Sanshiro sale Voting is scheduled for Milan and Inter on Thursday and Monday.
If the sale is approved, the team will demolish the 99-year-old stadium and jointly build a new arena.
On Wednesday, Milan and Inter announced an agreement with construction companies Foster + Partners and Manica to design new stadiums if the city council approves the move.
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