AC Milan host Napoli at the San Siro on Sunday in what is arguably the game of the weekend in Serie A.
The home side have not got off to he best of starts in the league, while the visitors have enjoyed a blistering opening under new coach Rafael Benitez.
Sports Mole caught up with BT Sport's European football analyst James Richardson ahead of the match to gauge his view on the teams and other key questions in Italian football.
AC Milan have had an indifferent start to the season. Why do you think that is?
"I think the fact that they are continually downsizing, really. They had a massive clearout last year which they've struggled to come back from. They were up there [last season], but what happened this season in the transfer market: Kaka is back, who clearly isn't the same player as 10 years ago... it's not a great squad.
"I think Milan are a club who are running on the momentum of what they used to be, and every year that goes by they're slowing down a little bit and I think that they could get a really rude shock this weekend from Napoli who are a team building momentum."
In contrast, Napoli's start has been pretty much perfect. Can you see them maintaining this form throughout the campaign?
"A lot of people said Rafael Benitez was really going to struggle in Naples, with the city, with the club because he does things very much his own way and there's a different style of football from what Walter Mazzarri played, but they are just screaming through the games at the moment.
"They look great and what the Italians would consider a proper European side. Italian football has had an insecurity about [their standing in Europe] for quite a while now. Napoli are playing fantastic."
Do you think that Napoli will beat Milan convincingly on Sunday?
"Well, you never know in football. Milan have been known to turn it on, so that kind of thing can happen, but all logic points to a Napoli win. They have a much better squad and are playing much better football than Milan, who have a lot of injuries."
Can you see Massimiliano Allegri coming under even more pressure if the result does not go Milan's way?
"I'm sure the pressure is already on. I think that pressure is always there for him. No-one's really questioning him at the moment, but I'm sure it won't be long."
Could there be an Italian team reaching the Champions League final, if not winning it, this season?
"It's difficult because Napoli look like an interesting team but their draw is really tough. Milan - I don't think will get very far. They may get out of the group with Barcelona but we'll see.
"Juventus are the obvious candidates because they got all the way to the quarter-finals last season before they were beaten by Bayern Munich. They looked impressive. They've now addressed their weaknesses, particularly in attack. They've kept their manager and they've kept a lot of their best players, including Arturo Vidal."
Can Italy win the World Cup?
"They could do brilliantly. World Cups are a lottery. It's about if your team can come together for three weeks and if you get that right, you're sorted. Within reason, there's any number of teams who can win.
"Because it's in South America that supposedly rules out any European teams winning it, but Italy had a brilliant Confederations Cup. Cesare Prandelli knows what he wants from his players and the team has a recognisable style. It's rare that you've seen them qualify in such a coherent fashion. They're playing with a similar confidence now to when they won the World Cup in 2006 so they absolutely have to be considered."
Watch BT Sport's exclusively live coverage of AC Milan vs. Napoli on BT Sport 2 from 7.30pm on Sunday 22 September. Build up to the big game with Sunday Night Football, which covers the game across the continent, from 6.45pm on BT Sport 1 on Sunday 22 September.
Jack Prescott
