Serie A Matchday 5: Who plays who, when and where?

Roma travel to top of the league AC Milan on Monday night, with Paulo Fonseca’s men in search of a third successive Serie A win.

Here’s how the rest of Matchday 5 looks in Italy this weekend…

FRIDAY 23 OCTOBER

Sassuolo v Torino
Mapei Stadium, 20:45 CEST

The unbeaten hosts have won their last three - scoring four goals each time - to propel them into second-place and will be strong favourite to make it four in a row, despite the absences of Lukas Haraslin, captain Francesco Magnanelli, Rogerio, Filippo Romagna and Jeremy Toljan.

Torino’s tale thus far is a stark contrast, with Marco Giampaolo’s side losing all three of their league fixtures to leave them rooted to the bottom of the table as they go in search of ending a run of 11 away games without a win.

SATURDAY 24 OCTOBER

Atalanta v Sampdoria
Gewiss Stadium, 15:00 CEST

Atalanta responded well to their first defeat of the Serie A season to Napoli last time out - a defeat that ended their three-game winning streak - by comfortably beating FC Midtjylland in the Champions League midweek and could return top of Serie A with victory on Saturday.

La Samp have been enjoying life recently - securing back-to-back wins over Fiorentina and Lazio to get them moving in the right direction - and this weekend could see Keita Balde make his first start for the club, with Manolo Gabbiadini the only man missing.

Genoa v Inter Milan
Luigi Ferraris, 18:00 CEST

Genoa have won their last two at home - scoring seven times and conceding once - but will be up against it when Inter visit, having lost the four previous meetings without scoring a goal and shipping 16.

Both teams have been hit hard by coronavirus and Inter - who were Zlatan-ed in the Milan derby last week and needed a 90th-minute equaliser for a point at home to Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Champions League - are likely to be without Roberto Gagliardini, Achraf Hakimi, Alexis Sanchez, Milan Skriniar, Matias Vecino and Ashley Young.

Lazio v Bologna
Stadio Olimpico, 20:45 CEST

Simone Inzaghi’s side may have seen to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday, but they are now three games without a win in Serie A and already under pressure with the team languishing in 15th.

Bologna sit just a place and point below their hosts on three points after letting slip a 3-1 lead as they fell to a 4-3 defeat to Sassuolo last Sunday, but have beaten Lazio more times (56) than any other club in their history.

SUNDAY 25 OCTOBER

Cagliari v Crotone
Sardegna Arena, 12:30 CEST

Only Benevento (12) have conceded more goals than these two sides so far, but Cagliari bagged their first win on Matchday 4 as Giovanni Simeone hit a brace in the 3-2 win at Torino.

As for Crotone, they ended a run of three consecutive defeats with a superb 1-1 draw with champions Juventus and they will be hoping that point kick-starts their season.

Benevento v Napoli
Ciro Vigorito, 15:00 CEST

After two wins on the spin over Sampdoria and Bologna, Benevento were humbled by Roma on Sunday night, conceding five goals for the second time in just four matches this season.

As for Napoli, they made it three wins from four in Serie A as they impressively dispatched Atalanta 4-0 last week, but their 1-0 Europa League defeat at home to an AZ Alkmaar side missing 13 players due to coronavirus on Thursday was a significant road bump for Gennaro Gattuso’s men.

Parma v Spezia
Ennio Tardini, 15:00 CEST

Parma haven’t had an easy time of things this season and were missing seven players due to coronavirus for the 3-2 loss at Udinese, but there were encouraging signs in their fight as they cruelly succumbed to an 88th-minute winner.

As for Spezia, they have also been showing plenty of character and will be pleased with how the club’s first Serie A campaign is going as they came from 2-0 down inside just four minutes at home to Fiorentina last time out, to seal a 2-2 draw.

Fiorentina v Udinese
Artemio Franchi, 18:00 CEST

Fiorentina will have been hurt by that two-goal collapse - a result that leaves them three games without victory - with the pressure building on Giuseppe Iachini and his men, but La Viola are eight games unbeaten against Udinese (W5, D3).

Udinese’s late victory over Parma was a much-needed shot in the arm for Luca Gotti’s team, ending a three-game losing run and securing their first points of the season thanks to Ignacio Pussetto’s winner; his first goal since rejoining the club this summer.

Juventus v Hellas Verona
Allianz Stadium, 20:45 CEST

Juve shrugged off any disappointment from the stalemate with Crotone by claiming a 2-0 win at Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League as Alvaro Morata’s brace made it three goals in two for the Spaniard, but they will be without the suspended Federico Chiesa after he saw red in his Juve debut against Crotone.

Verona have started brightly this season - losing and conceding just once - and despite 12 defeats in 12 away to Juve, as well as never securing a Serie A win at the home of the current champions, they did claim a 2-1 win when these two last met in August.

MONDAY 26 OCTOBER

AC Milan v Roma
Giuseppe Meazza, 20:45 CEST

The Rossoneri are the only side with a 100 per cent record in Serie A, as Zlatan Ibrahimovic continues to roll back the years and the Swedish striker now has braces in each of his league appearances after his double in the 2-1 Derby della Madonnina victory over Inter.

But Roma - whose much changed side came-from-behind to beat Young Boys in the Swiss capital on Thursday - have been perfect in their last three matches in all competitions and, bar the opening day trip to Verona, have won their last five league matches on the road. Gianluca Mancini's absence (coronavirus) is an added headache for coach Paulo Fonseca, however.