Napoli head coach Gennaro Gattuso believes Inter are favourites to win Serie A this season, ahead of current leaders Milan and defending champions Juventus.

Milan – without a Scudetto since 2010-11 – top the table by five points through nine matchdays after defeating Fiorentina 2-0 on Sunday to remain unbeaten.

City rivals Inter and Sassuolo are five points off the pace, while Andrea Pirlo's Juve are fourth and a point further back, along with Napoli and Roma.

Gattuso considers Antonio Conte's Inter title favourites following Napoli's 4-0 rout of Roma on Sunday, telling Sky Sport Italia: "In my view, Inter are the team to beat.

"They combine quality with physical strength, they have so many options available and they are the favourites.

"Then there's Juventus, who are accustomed to being up there."

Napoli played their first Serie A match since the death of club great Diego Maradona on Wednesday and it was an emotional occasion at the Stadio San Paolo, where captain Lorenzo Insigne, Fabian Ruiz, all-time leading scorer Dries Mertens and Matteo Politano were on target.

The Partenopei equalled their largest margin of victory against Roma in Serie A, having also routed the capital club 4-0 in 1980 and 1971.

Napoli – who moved up to fifth position in Serie A, six points adrift of Milan – earned their fourth win from five games across all competitions.

Ciao Diego! pic.twitter.com/qoxpLLGisX
— Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) November 29, 2020

Gattuso earned his 50th career victory as a coach in the Italian top flight, while becoming the first Napoli boss to win his first two Serie A encounters against Roma.

"We have to play with this intensity in every single game, with this atmosphere on the team bus, in the dressing room, throughout the match. Take nothing for granted," Gattuso said.

"What I liked was the attitude today. When there was an error from a team-mate, they helped each other out, applauded rather than telling them to go f*** themselves, that's what I like to see.

"Perhaps it's my fault, because in order to not stress the players out, I let things go, I go easy. Now I realise I can never let anything go and I can't afford to go easy on them. Times have changed.

"We know that with the fixture list as packed as it is, we can't always be at 100 per cent in every single game. But that's why mentality is so important, because it can allow you to push through difficulties, to keep going and raise the bar. I see the mentality as the issue here, we need to find the balance of playing good football, but as a team."