Naples is preparing for the biggest game as AC Milan heads south on Sunday for the first of three crucial encounters between the Serie A powers in the coming weeks. title parties.
Southern With a 19-point advantage at the top of Serie A, the residents of Italy's largest city is counting down the hours before Napoli can declare themselves winners, firstly considering 1990.
In anticipation of their team's upcoming match, long-suffering Napoli supporters have already started painting the city in blue and white. It was likely a victory due to the strength of their leads, with 11 games left.
The number three symbolises Napoli's third league title and may be seen on flags, banners, and murals throughout the city.
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After leading Napoli to their first title Scudetto for them "is worth 10 for Juventus," said Diego Maradona in 1987. The protagonists of this year's title push have now joined the late Argentine star within the gates of Naples.
Everywhere around the city, including the Forcella neighbourhood in the city centre, where a washroom has been decorated in Juventus' black and white colours next to a mural of the two attackers, Victor Osimhen, the top scorer, and wing prodigy Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are shown.
Nigerian striker Osimhen, who has scored 25 goals in Serie A and the Champions League, has become a local hero in NaplesLeague.
One coffee shop near the anti-Juve restroom charges three euros for an "Osimhen coffee," a tall espresso drink of coffee served with sugar and cocoa on the edges and artisanal chocolate at the bottom.
A crumbled choco tart with a mask resembling Osimhen's meant to resemble his golden hair has been created in his honour by a pastry shop.
- The Milan Trilogy
Although the Milan clubs prevented their side from winning more than the two titles gained during Maradona's wild spell in Naples, Juve is the one who has drawn the most ire from Napoli supporters.
Suppose Juve, who play host to Verona on Saturday, improves from seventh to second above Lazio, and their 15-point suspension for alleged transfer trickery is reversed next month. In that case, they may be able to delay Napoli's coronation.
Yet with Sunday's matchup and an all-Italian Champions League quarterfinal coming up in less than a fortnight, fourth-placed Milan is trying to ruin the fun.
Napoli enters the match on a high note and with nearly its whole roster available, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic and injured starting centre-back Pierre Kalulu will be sidelined for Milan.
Olivier Giroud will start up front after serving his sentence and signing a one-year contract extension with Milan, which Milan will announce in the coming days. Giroud's game-winning goal against Napoli last season propelled Milan to their first league title in eleven years.
Milan is competing with Roma for a spot in the Champions League for the upcoming season. Roma is facing relegation-threatened Sampdoria at home, and Milan is three points clear of Atalanta before their matchup against the bottom-of-the-table Cremonese.
The challenge for Stefano Pioli's team is that after appearing on the right track earlier in the season, they have since suffered merited losses at Fiorentina and Udinese and have only drawn once in their past three games at home against Salernitana.
However, Napoli has only lost five games at home all year and is playing with the confidence of a squad that is aware that its moment of triumph has come.
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