MILAN: Maurizio Sarri's Napoli face a major test of their Serie A title ambitions when they take on champions Juventus Friday night in their San Paolo Stadium.
Napoli are riding high this season -- unbeaten in 14 league games -- to sit top of the Italian league table with 38 points, four ahead of third-placed Juventus.
Juventus' Serie A dominance, with six consecutive Scudetto trophies, has shown signs of weakness this season.
Two losses -- Lazio ending the Turin giants's two-year unbeaten home record last month, before slumping 3-2 at Sampdoria two weeks ago - have given their rivals hope of a change.
But Massimiliano Allegri's side still have the most deadly attacking line this season, leading the way with 40 goals, five more than Napoli and 12 ahead of second-placed Inter Milan.
"Napoli are ahead of us in the table and favourites for the Scudetto, but we must stay strong and remain within touching distance of them before striking at the crucial moment around March," said Allegri.
Allegri remains confident Argentine ace Gonzalo Higuain -- the scorer of eight Serie A goals -- will be fit after undergoing surgery during the week on a broken finger.
"Gonzalo Higuain's hand is still hurting, but we're quietly confident about his chances. We'll have to see how he feels later today and tomorrow," said Allegri.
'Highs and lows'
Veteran defender Giorgio Chiellini warned that the problem lies in Juventus' defence which has leaked 14 goals compared to just nine conceded by Napoli.
"Ninety percent of the time, the team that has the best defence wins the league, it is statistics and we want to return to having the most solid defence," said Italian Chiellini.
"In the last few months we have paid by suffering some highs and lows and conceding goals. We need to find the balance that's been missing at the start of the season.
"We are all aware of the importance of Friday's match," continued Chiellini.
"The league doesn't end after Friday, but a defeat would be difficult to digest.
"We want to leave the San Paolo without conceding a single goal, that would be a very important sign of strength."
Friday night's action sees all three Italian Champions League sides -- Napoli, Juventus and AS Roma -- in action before key European games next week on which their progress to the knockout phase depends.
AS Roma host SPAL without captain Daniele De Rossi who will sit out the first of his two-match ban for slapping Genoa's Gianluca Lapadula in the face during their 1-1 draw.
Roma are fourth, seven points behind Napoli with a game in hand, and have a chance to reduce the gap against promoted SPAL, who occupy the first relegation spot with just ten points to show this season.
Roma coach Eusebio Di Francesco warned there could be "no room for error" if they want to keep pace with the leaders.
"With the utmost respect for SPAL the message for us is clear: if we go in with the wrong mindset they can hurt us," he said.
Inter Milan host Chievo on Sunday with troubled city rival's AC Milan hoping coach Gennaro Gattuso will ease into his new job against tailenders Benevento.
"The match against Benevento has to be like a World Cup final," warned former Milan midfielder Gattuso who replaced Vincenzo Montella this week with the seven-time European champions languishing in seventh, well below their Champions League ambitions.