Roma and Inter meet at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday evening with nothing between them. Both clubs have won their opening four Serie A matches, both are on twelve points, and nobody else in the division has more than ten. Matchday 5 kicks off at 18:00 CEST.

The table will look different by Sunday night, so the gap matters more than the placing. Cagliari, three points back, play at Udinese three hours before kick-off. Lazio go to Venezia later on Saturday and Como travel to Frosinone on Sunday, both a further point behind. Whatever happens in Rome, the chasing pack answers it afterwards.

Roma's start has been the tighter of the two. Gian Piero Gasperini's side have scored twelve and conceded once in four matches, the most recent a 2-0 win at Torino on Monday. Inter have been noisier about it. Cristian Chivu's team came from two goals down in each of their last two league games, first against Napoli and then in a 5-3 win over Udinese that took them to a league-high thirteen goals. Marcus Thuram scored in both comebacks and has five goal involvements in four Serie A appearances against Roma.

The record that frames the evening belongs to the visitors. Inter have taken all three points at the Olimpico in each of the past five seasons, outscoring Roma 11-2 on those trips. It is the longest run of consecutive home defeats Roma have suffered against a single opponent in their Serie A history, and their most recent home win in the fixture came on 2 October 2016. Saturday is the 187th league meeting between the clubs, more than any other pairing in Italian top-flight history.

Inter are without a doubt the team to beat in Serie A

Gian Piero Gasperini, Friday press conference

Gasperini was just as plain about his own record against them. He said there had been a period when his teams got results against Inter, that it had not been the case in recent years, and that lately they had always lost. The run has now outlasted three different Inter coaches.

Roma go into it unusually healthy. Gasperini said on Friday that everyone is available, and that Lorenzo Pellegrini, who has trained with the group for a fortnight, can play again. Inter's one stated concern is John Stones, whose tests on Thursday morning revealed a muscle strain in the flexor muscles of his left thigh, with his condition to be reassessed. Neither side carries a suspension, and neither has a player a booking away from one. Davide Massa referees.

Inter arrive in Rome having beaten Roma here five seasons running, and having already lost once in Europe this month. Roma arrive having conceded a single goal all season. One of those two patterns breaks on Saturday, and both sides go into the international break straight afterwards, with no obvious reason to hold anything back.