Napoli's Conte out to end Juve's unbeaten run and preserve his own

(Reuters) - Leaders Napoli continue their title bid when they host Juventus this weekend, with manager Antonio Conte looking to end his former club's unbeaten league run and protect his own record as the last coach to avoid defeat in an entire Serie A season.

Juve will arrive in Naples on Saturday pitting Conte against the Turin club where he spent most of his career and had the majority of his success, both as player and coach.

As a tenacious midfielder, Conte won Serie A five times with Juventus, along with the Champions League, while as manager he won the league in his three seasons in charge at the club.

In his debut campaign on the Juve bench in 2011-12 Conte's side were undefeated in the league, a feat which has not been achieved since, and after also winning league titles with Inter Milan and Chelsea, he is now targeting success in Naples.

After seeing off third-placed Atalanta last weekend, Napoli may have turned the Scudetto battle into a two-horse race, with champions Inter three points behind albeit with a game in hand.

That 3-2 loss has left Atalanta seven points off top spot and proved Napoli have got what it takes to succeed this season, especially with a manager of Conte's calibre at the helm.

WINNING RUN

Initially Conte spoke of a rebuilding phase at Napoli and they were thumped 3-0 by Hellas Verona on the opening day. However, his side then went on a run of eight wins in nine, only dropping points in a draw at Juventus.

Napoli lost Victor Osimhen, their top scorer for the past three seasons, when the striker joined Galatasaray on loan early in the campaign but Conte just carried on regardless.

He will undoubtedly do the same after the club sold Georgia winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, one of the key players in the Scudetto win two seasons ago, to Paris St Germain last week.

What would once have been seen as a nail in the coffin for any title hopes has instead been shrugged off and Conte has the advantage of having a lot fewer games to play than his rivals.

Napoli have only the league to worry about, while Inter, Atalanta and Juve are all involved in the Champions League and are still in the Coppa Italia while all three were in Saudi Arabia earlier this month for the Italian Super Cup.

Thiago Motta's Juventus are unbeaten in Serie A despite looking far from impressive, having drawn 13 games and won only eight, and even if they do repeat Conte's feat, it won't necessarily bring a league title.

Juve are in fifth place, 13 points off Napoli, with Conte's team leading the way with 16 wins, two draws and three defeats.

Motta's team did manage a 2-0 home win over AC Milan last weekend but a scoreless Champions League draw at Club Brugge in midweek suggests they have yet to turn the corner and Conte's Napoli could be the team to hand them their first Serie A loss.

Inter are at Lecce on Sunday when Milan, who are eighth, host Parma. Atalanta visit Como on Saturday.