Napoli come into this one with the kind of quiet menace that makes you sit up. They are the reigning champions in waiting, a side that has learned to win ugly and pretty in equal measure. The Stadio Diego Armando Maradona will be a furnace, and that matters. Napoli's recent form, while not plastered all over the headlines, has the look of a team sharpening its claws. They have that midfield trio of Lobotka, McTominay, and Anguissa — a blend of silk and steel that can dominate any midfield in Italy. The home crowd will demand a response after any recent wobble, and this is exactly the kind of fixture where they find their rhythm.

Como, on the other hand, are the great entertainers of Serie A now. Cesc Fabregas has them playing football that makes you lean forward in your seat. They drew 1-1 away at Udinese on Matchday 1, with four summer signings making debuts — that tells you they are still stitching themselves together. They have Morata and Nico Paz, they have ambition, and they are in the Champions League for the first time in their history. But that is a double-edged sword. European nights can wait; this is a league game at a hostile ground, and Como are still learning how to handle the physicality and pace of Serie A week in, week out. Their recent results have been decent, but they have not yet faced a side with Napoli's intensity.