“We are in good shape and are so fired up,” grinned El Pocho in the Gazzetta dello Sport ahead of Sunday night’s showdown.

“Of course Milan are one of the strongest sides in the world and it won’t be easy causing them problems.

“However, my Napoli is extremely sharp at the moment and above all giving consistency to the results. If we are top of the table, then it is certainly not a fluke.

“Behind this leadership is the hard work of everyone, including those who haven’t had the good fortune of playing as much as me or even is forced into the stands.”

This is the first time in 17 years that Napoli have been on top of the Serie A standings after a period in which they suffered relegation, bankruptcy and demotion to Serie C.

Lavezzi is part of a strong Argentine contingent in the San Paolo, whereas Milan have focused on the Brazilians like Kaka, Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato.

“The Rossoneri stars really are phenomenal and at the end of the day they will be the ones to make the difference in this campaign.

“At Napoli we may not be huge stars, but we focus everything on the unity of the squad and the hunger of the many young players who make up the team.”