Roma v Napoli: Three key individual battles to watch out for

Roma and Napoli will go head-to-head in a pulsating Derby del Sole on Saturday – with kick-off at the Stadio Olimpico at 15:00 local time.

It will be the 157th official meeting between both sides, and one which the Giallorossi will be hoping to get revenge in and claim all three points. Last season’s match at the Stadio Olimpico ended in a 4-1 win for Carlo Ancelotti’s side. Both teams also split the spoils in Naples with Dries Mertens cancelling out Stephan El Shaarawy’s 14 minute opener, right at the death.

The Neapolitans don't always have it their own way against the Giallorossi however, as an Edin Džeko brace secured a 4-2 win in Naples in the 2017-18 campaign.

Here are three key battles to watch out for…

Chris Smalling v Arkadiusz Milik

The 25-year-old striker may have missed the first month of the season with a groin injury, but the Poland international has hit the ground running, scoring five goals in his past four matches in all competitions for club and country. Smalling will have a tough task of keeping the in-form Milik quiet throughout, especially given the fact he is in red hot form and eyeing goals in the encounter.

Three of Milik's four finishes have come within the six-yard box, as have 16 of his 20 attempts on goal. In total, Milik has put 50% of his shots on target and has converted 18% of his in-the-box attempts into goals. The fact he is playing so effectively and so efficiently, means both Smalling and teammate Mert Cetin will need to be on song.

Smalling does however, have the height and speed advantage over Milik, who has averaged 46 touches and 6.5 shots over his past two matches, in which he has scored twice and also hit the woodwork.

Alessandro Florenzi v Lorenzo Insigne

There is no question Milik has been arguably Napoli’s go to player so far this season. That said, the battle between both Florenzi and Insigne will be an interesting one. Napoli have produced 37% of their attacks coming down the left flank, which has contributed to 23% of their total shots. Reining in the left-side of Napoli's attack is no small task and something which will have to be stopped.

With three goals and five assists in all competitions, Insigne is unquestionably one of the biggest threats and standout players for the Partenopei, so Florenzi will have to be up to the task in trying to mark the 28-year-old out of the game.

Jordan Veretout v Fabián Ruiz

With the league's highest possession rate (57%) and the second best passing percentage (86.9%), Napoli has mastered possession-based football. So far, Napoli are averaging 527 short passes per match, nearly 200 more than Roma, and are hitting on nearly 90% of those short passes.

All told, 30% of Napoli's possession occurs in their opponents final third, which has, in part, led to 13 goals in the run of play - the league's third-highest mark. This is mainly down to the man in the middle, Fabián Ruiz. The Spaniard will hope to play a key role for his side in the match and Veretout will hope he can disrupt the rhythm and generate buzz on the counter attack for the Giallorossi.