Spalletti expects derby excitement to bring out best in his players

The Giallorossi go into the game looking to claim a second league win of the campaign over their arch-rivals, a three points that could prove especially important as the race heats up for Champions League qualification.

"Every time I’ve been involved there have been so many emotions – it’s the same today," Spalletti said. "The derby is a wonderful thing to play in and to experience. I enjoy that excitement and I think I’ve got a team here that gets excited too.

"It’s also for this reason that I’ve enjoyed being here – through those emotions you can express more, in different ways. You can communicate more forcefully, more than you can with words alone. The derby is a wonderful thing.

"It’s something to be enjoyed and we will do on this occasion – both myself and the players."

The game kicks off at 12:30 CEST, an unusually early start for a derby clash but a time slot that is gradually becoming more common in Italy.

“As regards the schedule for the game, I agree with my colleague Simone Inzaghi," Spalletti said. "The derby deserves to be played under the lights, with everyone’s attention, in the most pleasant surroundings possible. Night-time games have something about them.

"Furthermore, the temperature could dampen the spectacle somewhat. I’d have preferred to play this game in the evening.

"Why will we be training at 5pm? Because it’s more suitable, given the session we want to do. We won’t be running a lot; we won’t be doing a huge amount. We want to get everything in order from a tactical perspective, so everything is fine-tuned for the match. The timing works well for everything I need to do today.

"Playing at 12:30, however, it won’t take us by surprise and won’t bother us. We’ll make sure we’re ready tomorrow.”