Capello not impressed by Juve's perfect start

Serie A leaders Juventus put their perfect record on the line with coach Fabio Capello demanding improvement away at Udinese this evening.

The champions have won their first three league matches to sit alone at the top - a position they have occupied since Capello was appointed at the start of last season.

With a chasing group of Fiorentina, Livorno, Palermo and Lazio two points behind, and last season's runners-up Milan five points off the pace, the only person apparently unimpressed by Juve's early-season form is Capello himself.

"It is nothing. Milan have played two away games, we have played two at home. We could be level again by Sunday," he was quoted as saying in La Gazzetta dello Sport yesterday.

"Right now we are thinking about the match in Udine. We will need to play a lot better than we did in the first half against Ascoli (who they beat 2-1)."

The problem for Juve's rivals is Capello's side appear stronger than last season.

A year after arriving in Turin, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has established a strike partnership with David Trezeguet that is the envy of the division while midfielder Patrick Vieira has settled in quickly alongside Emerson since his close-season transfer from Arsenal.

A game against Juventus is a tough prospect but Udinese's players have reason to relish the challenge. The small club from north-east Italy was heaped with praise after drubbing Panathinaikos 3-0 in the opening match of their first-ever Champions League campaign, although their 4-2 defeat against Fiorentina at the weekend brought them down to earth with a bump.

Strikers Antonio Di Natale and Vincenzo Iaquinta are most dangerous on the break, while 21-year-old midfielder Sulley Muntari will want to extend his record of scoring in every game so far.

Elsewhere today, Milan captain Paolo Maldini will set a record of 571 appearances in Serie A if he plays against Lazio.

The match at the San Siro should be a celebration, but Milan's recent form has put pressure on coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Milan have won just twice in their last 10 matches and were beaten 2-1 by Sampdoria on Sunday.

After almost four years in the job, Ancelotti's position as coach has never been so precarious.

The murmur of criticism that followed the club's dramatic Champions League defeat by Liverpool at the end of last season is growing more insistent and he knows another bad result could plunge the team - and his command of it - into crisis.

Serie A

Playing Today - 8.30 p.m.
Milan vs Lazio
Roma vs Parma
Ascoli vs Siena
Chievo vs Inter
Empoli vs Cagliari

Lecce vs Fiorentina
Messina vs Livorno
Palermo vs Reggina
Treviso vs Sampdoria
Udinese vs Juventus

Next Fixtures

Saturday - 6 p.m. Reggina vs Udinese; 8.30 p.m. Parma vs Juventus.

Sunday - 3 p.m. Cagliari vs Roma; Empoli vs Lecce; Lazio vs Palermo; Livorno vs Ascoli; Sampdoria vs Chievo; Siena vs Messina; Treviso vs Milan; 8.30 p.m. Inter vs Fiorentina.

Serie B

Played Yesterday
AlbinoLeffe vs Modena 0-0
Avellino vs Bari 1-1
Bologna vs Piacenza 2-1
Brescia vs Arezzo 0-0
Catania vs Atalanta 4-1

Catanzaro vs Pescara 1-0
Ternana vs Cesena 0-3
Torino vs Crotone 0-0
Vicenza vs Mantova 0-1
Cremonese vs Triestina today
Rimini vs Verona today