Milan target Scudetto momentum as title rivals hit the road after European setbacks

Dec 11 : AC Milan aim to extend their unbeaten Serie A run and maintain top spot when they host Sassuolo this weekend while Napoli and Inter Milan face away trips after suffering midweek Champions League losses.

Massimiliano Allegri's Milan lost to Cremonese on the opening day, but have since gone unbeaten in the league, racking up nine wins in 13 games on their way to the summit.

Milan went out of the Coppa Italia to Lazio last week, but defeat came with the silver lining of fewer games to come, and with Allegri's side not involved in Europe that may play a major role in the title race.

Sassuolo arrive at San Siro on Sunday on the back of a 3-1 win over Fiorentina which took them to eighth in the standings and while Milan are without injured winger Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic is available.

The American recovered from the flu to make the bench for Monday's game at Torino. Pulisic scored 35 seconds after coming on and netted another 10 minutes later to complete Milan's 3-2 comeback win.

Keeping Pulisic fit will be crucial to Milan's Scudetto hopes. The winger, more usually deployed by Allegri as a second striker, has played nine league games out of 14 and started a mere five times but has already notched seven goals.

Sassuolo, meanwhile, are without the services of forward Andrea Pinamonti who went off injured during the Fiorentina win having started every league game this season, scoring four goals.

CONTE'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE BLUES

Defending champions Napoli are second in the standings, level on 31 points with Milan and enjoyed recent wins over AS Roma and Juventus, but defeat by Benfica on Wednesday was their third loss in as many away games in the Champions League.

"It's not the single match, but the accumulation of many