Promoted together in the summer, Atalanta and Novara are reunited by having upset the odds so far.

Tipped to struggle, it’s taken Atalanta just three games to wipe out the six-point penalty imposed for their involvement in a betting scandal. No mean feat, considering that two of those games were away from home. The Orobici have taken seven points from nine and would be topping the table if not for the penalty, but boss Stefano Colantuono has no intention of resting on his laurels. “I hope this is a point of origin, rather than a destination for us, so we must continue and not give an inch. On Sunday against Novara we will have a difficult match.”

Novara make the short journey east into Lombardy brimming with confidence, having brought Gian Piero Gasperini’s reign at Inter to an abrupt end with a shock 3-1 win on Tuesday. It was the first Serie A fixture contested at the Stadio Silvio Piola in 55 years and the home crowd certainly made the most of it, taunting Massimo Moratti and Inter with chants of ‘Serie B.’ Scoring goals is Coach Attilio Tesser’s biggest concern, so bagging three against the reigning World champions was just the tonic, even if Inter’s back three played like they were sleepwalking.

Atalanta defender Stefano Lucchini, goalkeeper Andrea Consigli and midfielder Leonardo Pettinari are injured, as is Novara’s Alex Pinardi. Naturally, Cristiano Doni sits out his three-and-a-half-year ban for the betting scandal.

Keep an eye on: German Denis (Atalanta) – First team football and goals were in short supply for German Denis at Napoli and Udinese, but now that El Tanque is first choice for Atalanta, he can’t stop scoring. The former Independiente striker hit the winner against Palermo last weekend and a double at Lecce in midweek – including a spectacular improvised volley.

Form Guide: Atalanta (D W W - -) Novara (D L W - -)

Last season: Not played

Stat fact: Novara had the better of these sides meetings in Serie B last term, holding the Nerazzurri to a 1-1 draw in Bergamo and winning 2-0 at the Stadio Piola. The last time they met here in Serie A was a 2-1 home win on May 20, 1956.

Level on points after enduring equally miserable starts to the season, Claudio Ranieri makes his Inter debut against a revived Bologna.

Inter arrive fully aware that Ranieri’s tenure must start with a win, something Gian Piero Gasperini failed to achieve in five official games. Massimo Moratti said as much within hours of hiring the Rome native - performance comes second to three points.

Ranieri takes Gasperini’s place after Tuesday’s shocking 3-1 defeat to Novara and is expected to formalise a more stable tactical and coaching arrangement for the players. The 59-year-old has developed a reputation with each of his recent positions in Serie A of successfully fighting adverse conditions.

Indeed, Moratti cited his experience as key to him landing the role, whilst his task of turning Inter around begins with trying to collect their first away points of the season and move away from the relegation zone they surprisingly find themselves in danger of otherwise dropping into.

Wesley Sneijder, Dejan Stankovic, Ivan Cordoba, Douglas Maicon, Thiago Motta, Andrea Poli and Emiliano Viviano are out. With Andrea Ranocchia suspended following his red card against Novara, the defence goes old school with Yuto Nagatomo in the back four.

Bologna secured their first point and goal of the new season on Wednesday with a 1-1 draw at 10-man Juventus, and whilst Pierpaolo Bisoli praised their response to recent criticism, his expectation is that they follow it up with an equally positive display against Inter.

The Coach said his team were not depressed going into the game, nor are they exalted after it, and the result merely reflected the merits of his players. Bisoli says he has ‘his Bologna’, and similar words from the dressing room post-Juventus indicate the team are heading into the weekend’s fixture looking for another aggressive performance.

Marco Di Vaio was surprisingly dropped for the trip to Turin, but expect the veteran to be back in the starting XI this Saturday. Federico Agliardi is likely to take over in goal, as Jean-Francois Gillet was knocked unconscious during the draw with Juventus. Andrea Raggi, Simone Loria, Nicolo’ Cherubin and Saphir Taider are also out. It’s a special game for midfielder Rene Krhin, who is on loan from Inter.

Keep an eye on: Giampaolo Pazzini (Inter) – The striker couldn't seem to get a look-in under Gasperini, but new boss Ranieri has already stated he'll be a central figure to his plans. It's time to prove what he can do.

Form Guide: Bologna (L L D - -) Inter (L D L - -)

Last season: Bologna 0-0 Inter

Stat fact: In all competitions, Inter have won eight of the last nine meetings with Bologna, whilst the Felsinei have not scored more than one goal against the Nerazzurri since November 2004.

If there is one team Cagliari want to beat this season, it is this weekend’s visitors Udinese, who have a particular hold on the Sardinians.

Massimo Ficcadenti refused to criticise his players after their midweek defeat to Palermo, instead focusing on the Rosanero’s ‘naiveté’ in the opening minutes seeing them take the lead, before a ‘lack of luck’ saw Cagliari fail to pull level in the closing stages.

Indeed, Ficcadenti may be aware that a positive attitude that was carried into Week 4 will be needed for facing Udinese in Week 5.

The Zebrette have averaged three goals a game in the last five meetings, and have not lost to the Isolani since January 2009. Crucially as well, their last win over the Sardinians signalled the beginning of a woeful run of form to end last season for Cagliari, and contributed to Roberto Donadoni’s departure.

Udinese Coach Francesco Guidolin has had a more solemn reaction to his side’s midweek fixture, reflecting on the paradox the 1-1 midweek draw with Milan has presented. Whilst seeing the team hold joint leadership in the League, the Coach admitted afterwards that he felt lucky to leave San Siro with a point.

He cited that his players lacked both the experience and the fitness to correctly see out the 90 minutes, suggesting that the younger element of the squad is feeling the effects of some significant transfer activity in the summer, and the run of games in a short space of time.

It suggests changes will be made for the team’s second away game in a row, but the anticipation amongst the fans and media is that despite Guidolin’s demeanour, that his team have been impressive, perhaps benefiting from the earlier start to the season for the Champions League qualifiers.

Indeed, Cagliari President Massimo Cellino correctly noted earlier this week that Palermo could prove problematic for his team given their better physical state, and he has a similar view that Udinese will hold the same advantage this weekend.

The omens point towards an Udinese win, but the respective Coaches’ moods suggest otherwise.

Keep an eye on: Radja Nainggolan (Cagliari) – The Belgian midfielder looks to have settled into Bisoli’s team quicker than his teammates, and is their highest rated player in the season’s Pagelle marks so far. If Cagliari want to protect their defence and support their attack against an organised and packed Udinese central set-up, it could rely on Nainggolan’s growing stature in the team.

Form Guide: Cagliari (D L W - -) Udinese (D W W - -)

Last season: Cagliari 0-4 Udinese

Stat fact: All of Udinese’s five goals scored so far this season have come in the opening half an hour of games.

Juventus hit their first obstacle with a surprise Bologna setback and now make a tricky trip to Catania’s Sicilian fortress.

Although still top of the table, the Bianconeri’s 100 per cent record has fallen after their midweek 1-1 home draw. That was expected to be the easiest tie of the season so far, but Mirko Vucinic proved hero and villain by scoring the goal, then receiving two avoidable yellow cards before half-time. The Montenegro international is suspended for this match, so Alessandro Matri should return to the starting XI.

It remains to be seen who the other members of the 4-2-4 formation will be, although Simone Pepe seems to be settled in as a permanent fixture. Alessandro Del Piero, Emanuele Giaccherini and Milos Krasic are all battling for spots along with the now fit Eljero Elia, Arturo Vidal and Marcelo Estigarribia.

Catania made home form their saving grace last season and hope to continue that trend at the Stadio Massimino. In two games here they have not conceded, but their strikers are beginning to cause genuine concern. Only one goal has been scored in three Serie A outings and that was a Maxi Lopez penalty. Siena held firm here in the opener and bottom of the table Cesena fell 1-0, while the bubble truly burst in Wednesday’s 3-0 thrashing at Genoa. The scoreline could’ve been much worse, as goalkeeper Mariano Andujar and his often comical defence were torn to shreds at Marassi.

Cristian Llama and ex-Juventus defender Nicola Legrottaglie miss out through injury. Coach Vincenzo Montella is already under pressure and looks set to ring the changes, bringing back Adrian Ricchiuti for Pablo Ledesma and Pablo Alvarez for Ciro Capuano. Another former Juve man, Davide Lanzafame, should be preferred to the misfiring Gonzalo Bergessio.

Keep an eye on: Andrea Pirlo (Juventus) – Signed on a free transfer from Milan, the veteran is finding a second life in the Bianconeri jersey. Aided by Antonio Conte’s system and his ‘bodyguard’ Claudio Marchisio, Pirlo has the time and space to weave his magic from midfield.

Form Guide: Catania (D W L - -) Juventus (W W D - -)

Last season: Catania 1-3 Juventus

Stat fact: Juventus are unbeaten in Sicily since September 1964 and have won four of their following seven visits.

The fans of these clubs must be feeling dizzy with Coaches coming and going, great results followed by dreadful ones and both sides battling for the top spot.

It has been a fairly eventful first few weeks of the season for these teams. Lazio brought in stars like Miroslav Klose and Djibril Cissè, but Coach Edy Reja offered his resignation earlier this week after a row with fans. “I just want to be judged fairly on my work,” said the veteran tactician who has even received death threats. “The picture at Lazio is good, but the frame is rotten.”

President Claudio Lotito also blasted the media, blaming them for “instigating” the poisonous atmosphere around Reja. “This isn’t criticism. It is a crime.” The Coach changed his mind and was convinced to stay on, celebrating with their first Serie A win of the season, fighting back to conquer Cesena 2-1.

As for Palermo, they sacked Stefano Pioli 10 days before the opening game and promoted Devis Mangia from the youth squad. The Serie A newcomer made a stunning debut, beating Inter 4-3, then fell to Atalanta and got back on track with another home thriller against then-leaders Cagliari. Which Rosanero will we see at the Olimpico this Sunday afternoon?

Edgar Alvarez is the only confirmed absentee for Palermo, though defender Mauro Cetto and midfielder Afriyie Acquah are also not 100 per cent fit. Fabrizio Miccoli should again take the helm with Eran Zahavi hoping to follow on from his debut Serie A goal against Cagliari. Nicolas Bertolo should return to the bench in favour of Josip Ilicic, who was rested following a dismal performance in Bergamo, while Abel Hernandez battles Mauricio Pinilla for a spot up front.

Lazio’s injury crisis drags on, as Stefano Mauri, Giuseppe Biava, Stefan Radu and Simone Del Nero are all unavailable. Senad Lulic and Abdoullay Konko return to the starting XI, especially as Marius Stankevicius showed problems at the back in Cesena.

Watch out for: Djibril Cissè (Lazio) – Although he didn’t score midweek, Cissè has been the liveliest of the big summer signings. His pace could cause major problems for Palermo, particularly with goalkeeper Alexandros Tzorvas looking very error-prone.

Form Guide: Lazio (D L W - -) Palermo (W L W - -)

Last season: Lazio 2-0 Palermo

Stat fact: Palermo conquered the Olimpico 2-1 on May 4, 2008, followed by a draw and three defeats. In Serie A alone, that 1-1 result September 2009 was their only stalemate since 1952.

Anything other than a win at home to bottom club Cesena would be disastrous for Milan, injury crisis or no injury crisis.

The Diavolo have made a distinctly underwhelming start to their Scudetto defence, collecting a mere two points from the first nine available to them. Massimiliano Allegri’s men have faced a hectic and demanding schedule however, at home to Lazio and Udinese, away to Barcelona and Napoli, and have been hindered by an injury crisis of epic proportions. Already without Luca Antonini, Daniele Bonera, Philippe Mexes, Massimo Ambrosini, Gennaro Gattuso, Matthieu Flamini, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robinho and Kevin-Prince Boateng, the Rossoneri suffered another huge blow on Thursday when they discovered Alexandre Pato will be out of action for at least a month.

That leaves Allegri with just three fit strikers to call upon, Antonio Cassano, Filippo Inzaghi and Stephan El Shaarawy - the 18-year-old who netted his first Serie A goal in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Udinese. Still, Vice President Adriano Galliani isn’t panicking. “We won the Scudetto last year and the Italian Super Cup a month ago. God forbid that we are not happy.”

In stark contrast to Galliani’s sanguine demeanour, Cesena President Igor Campedelli is dismayed by his club’s failure to register thus far. This was supposed to be the season the Seahorses pushed on towards European qualification, but losses to Napoli, Catania and Lazio have left the Emilian outfit as the only pointless club in Serie A. “You have to play more as a team, and less like individuals,” Campedelli commented. “I would have expected at least a point from these first few games.” Coach Marco Giampaolo’s position doesn’t seem to be under threat, though – yet. “A message for Giampaolo? He has all the boys with him. We must not give in to initial difficulties.”

Cesena’s 22-year-old ‘keeper Nicola Ravaglia is almost half the age of the man he’s filling in for, Francesco Antonioli, but has adapted well and should get the chance to continue his adventure at San Siro.

Keep an eye on: Antonio Cassano (Milan) – Ibrahimovic, Pato and Robinho will all be in the stands or at home with their feet up, so the onus is on Cassano to lead Milan’s frontline and give his teenage strike partner El Shaarawy the guidance he needs. FantAntonio has been known to act like a teenager himself at times, but has started the season well and stood out against Udinese.

Form Guide: Milan (D L D - -) Cesena (L L L - -)

Last season: Milan 2-0 Cesena

Stat fact: Five of the six goals Milan have conceded have come before half time. Four of the six goals Cesena have conceded have come after half time.

Napoli and Fiorentina are locked together in 4th and 5th place respectively ahead of Saturday’s showdown at the San Paolo.

Before Wednesday a home win would have seemed like a very safe bet indeed, but the midweek round was full of surprises. It was a case of penthouse to pavement for Napoli, who went from drawing with Manchester City and trouncing Milan to defeat against lowly Chievo. The third loss the Neapolitans have suffered away to the Flying Donkeys in four seasons, the Stadio Bentegodi is quickly becoming their least favourite venue. It was a hiccup which might have been averted if Walter Mazzarri hadn’t made seven changes and dropped attacking trio Marek Hamsik, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani, however the Coach said “fatigue means we need to rotate the squad” and claimed “this defeat could be good for Napoli.”

In itself Fiorentina’s win over Parma wasn’t as surprising as Napoli’s defeat in Verona, but the manner of it was. Having been roundly beaten by Udinese on Sunday, lost Alberto Gilardino for six weeks with a knee injury and seen the Riccardo Montolivo saga blow up in their faces yet again, few could have anticipated such a commanding performance from the Viola, who ran out 3-0 winners. Back in action after more than a year on the sidelines, Stevan Jovetic grabbed two of the three goals, and made a point of speaking out in support of the ostracised Montolivo. “We will protect him for as long as he is here, because he has always been the best.”

Joining long term absentees Gilardino and Miguel Britos on the sidelines are Fiorentina’s Per Kroldrup and Napoli’s Christian Maggio. Marco Donadel and Mario Santana both moved from Florence to Naples in the summer but only the latter is fit to face his former club, so he should start from the bench.

Keep an eye on: Stevan Jovetic (Fiorentina) – The highly rated youth scored his first Fiorentina goals in 18 months against Parma, and couldn’t have picked a better time to return to form ahead of a visit to one his favourite grounds. Jo-Jo was instrumental in the Viola’s 3-1 win at the San Paolo in March 2010, setting up both Alberto Gilardino’s goals and grabbing the third for himself.

Form Guide: Napoli (W W L - -) Fiorentina (W L W - -)

Last season: Napoli 0-0 Fiorentina

Stat fact: Fiorentina have won one, drawn one and lost two of their visits to the Stadio San Paolo since Napoli’s return to Serie A in 2007.

Luis Enrique is still without a single victory in charge of Roma and patience is wearing thin ahead of the Stadio Tardini trip.

“I am worried at the whole situation, but above all the lack of self-belief in the players,” confessed the Spanish Coach. Including the doomed Europa League play-offs, he has amassed just three draws and two defeats, scoring a grand total of three goals. The much-vaunted Barcelona style is yet to materialise, as the tempo is still too slow and makes their passing predictable.

To make matters worse, Enrique admitted his weakness was there for all to see and exploit. “I had the same problem in Spain, as in the three years I trained Barcelona B, all my opponents played the counter-attack game against us.” Considering Serie A’s smaller sides relish that approach, one wonders if Roma will have even more problems against minnows than the big guns.

It’s a lesson Parma will have surely paid attention to. Franco Colomba is a wily old fox of a Coach and could make use of the very pacey Jonathan Biabiany, while shining light Sebastian Giovinco returns from suspension. So far this season Giovinco has scored all of the Ducali’s three goals and was sorely missed during the 3-0 drubbing at Fiorentina midweek.

The Stadio Tardini will also be a welcome sight for a side that has lost both away games this term, scoring once and conceding seven. It should be noted that their only victory was scraped in stoppages against Chievo with two moments of Giovinco magic.

Hernan Crespo could get a rare start, as Graziano Pellè and Francesco Valiani are sidelined. Roma are still without Erik Lamela and Maarten Stekelenburg, but expect more Luis Enrique tinkering in the trident attack.

Keep an eye on: Sebastian Giovinco (Parma) – He has scored all Parma’s goals so far this season and the Atomic Ant is precisely the kind of player who can torture a shaky Roma defence with his incisive passing.

Form Guide: Parma (L W L - -) Roma (L D D - -)

Last season: Parma 0-0 Roma

Stat fact: Roma have an excellent record at the Stadio Tardini, as they are unbeaten here since a 2-1 result on May 8, 2005. That was followed by four wins and two draws, in which the Giallorossi scored 14 and conceded just three.

It’s a relegation battle, as Siena hope to register their first win, while Lecce aim to continue their remarkable away form.

These sides were candidates for the race to avoid Serie B even before a ball was kicked this season and they are both old hands at this situation. The same cannot be said of their Coaches, as both Giuseppe Sannino and Eusebio Di Francesco are in their debut top flight campaigns.

Siena have been solid if unspectacular so far this term, earning draws away to Catania and Roma, while they were unlucky to be narrowly beaten 1-0 on home turf by Juventus. Goals have been the major problem, as full-back Roberto Vitiello snatched a last-gasp equaliser at the Olimpico on Thursday night. It was their first goal of the campaign.

Siena create plenty of chances, but Sannino warns they “aren’t always sharp when it comes to finishing” after all the hard work in midfield and defence. Franco Brienza and Emanuele Calaiò have a lot of experience when it comes to relegation tussles, so should again be preferred to Pedro Gonzalez and Marcelo Larrondo.

Lecce were expected to be a goal machine, as Di Francesco is a protégé of all-attack legend Zdenek Zeman. However, his system hasn’t quite kicked into gear yet. They seem a different side on home turf, losing to both Udinese and Atalanta, but earned a 2-1 victory away to Bologna. Perhaps the pressure of the Stadio Via del Mare is causing problems, but they hope to take advantage of the fact Siena aren’t too solid at home either.

Carlos Grossmuller is suspended after his red card against Atalanta, while Moris Carrozzieri is still injured. Siena’s only confirmed absentee is Gabriele Angella, though Angelo is also in doubt with a muscular problem.

Keep an eye on: David Di Michele (Lecce) – The veteran still has plenty of tricks up his sleeve and tends to pull the creative strings for the Salentini. He’s taking a more advanced role this season, but remains the ideal assist man.

Form Guide: Siena (D L D - -) Lecce (L W L - -)

Last season: Not played

Stat fact: Lecce have a strong record here, as in all competition they’ve only lost in Siena once, 2-1 in October 2003. In Serie A alone the Salentini have won twice, drawn once and lost that one time.