Serie A preview: Milan giants seek form reversal

Milan rivals can put disappointing starts to the Serie A season behind them when they take on struggling opposition on Saturday.

Inter Milan have had an atrocious start to the Italian domestic campaign, with a winless opening resulting in coach Gian Piero Gasperini being sacked on Wednesday.

Inter’s 3-1 away loss to newly promoted Novara on Tuesday was the tipping point for club president Massimo Moratti.

Gasperini failed to lead the side to a win from his first five games at the helm, with low points including the Novara defeat and a 1-0 Champions League reverse at home to Turkish side Trabzonspor.

Former Chelsea, Juventus and Roma boss Claudio Ranieri charged with the task of reversing their fortunes.

Ranieri is confident he can make an impression in Milan – starting with Saturday’s trip to Bologna, who sit in second to last place on the table.

“Inter are a great team. They had a false start,” Ranieri said. “I will try to bring again this team to play as they can, with all their strength.”

Champions AC Milan are enduring a horrid start of their own.

Yet to post a win in from three matches, Massimiliano Allegri’s side sit five points off leading trio Genoa, Juventus and Udinese.

They welcome bottom side Cesena to the San Siro on Saturday, but Allegri has some injury concerns ahead of the match.

Brazilian Alexandre Pato is out after suffering a hamstring injury in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Udinese.

He joins fellow striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic on the sidelines, while there are also doubts over the fitness of Kevin-Prince Boateng, Gennaro Gattuso and Massimo Ambrosini.

Saturday’s other match sees Napoli host Fiorentina, with Walter Mazzarri’s side hoping to bounce back from their 1-0 loss to Chievo Verona on Wednesday.

The top three teams are all on the road on Sunday, with Juventus away to Catania, Udinese visiting Cagliari and Genoa visiting Chievo.

Other Sunday matches see Lazio entertain Palermo, Siena host Lecce and Novara visit Atalanta in a battle of two promoted teams.

Roma are another traditional heavyweight winless from their opening

three games and travel to Parma amid growing pressure on coach Luis

Enrique.