Napoli pulled off one of the unlikeliest comebacks in recent Serie A memory last season. From a calamitous 10th-place finish in 2023/24 to a fourth Scudetto in club history, they’ve enjoyed a remarkable return to prominence in only one year.

Who else but Antonio Conte to spearhead the revolution? Back in Italian football after a three-year absence, Conte won his fifth Serie A title at the expense of his former club, Inter, in one of the most dramatic title races across Europe’s traditional top-five leagues.

Only one point separated Napoli and Inter after 38 matches as the Partenopei denied the San Siro outfit a chance to become the first side to defend the Scudetto since Juventus in 2019/20. Despite Conte’s tactical acumen and proven track record, few had expected Napoli to achieve what they did in 2024/25.

Now, they face another tough challenge. Perhaps for the first time this century, they head into the season as the leading candidates to lift the crown. A raft of high-profile summer signings has further strengthened their ranks, making them the most formidable force in Serie A.

Without further ado, let’s look at our Napoli season preview.

Napoli Fixtures

Napoli’s title-defending campaign gets underway on August 23 as they head to the Mapei Stadium to lock horns with newly-promoted Sassuolo. Their first home game of the season pits them against perennial bottom-half strugglers Cagliari in round two.

Following a relatively straightforward four-game start to the season, Conte’s men take on a new-look Milan at San Siro toward the end of September, while they host Inter at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona a month later.

November could prove a season-defining month for the Partenopei. Como’s visit to Naples will open the month, followed by high-stakes matches against Bologna and Atalanta, as well as bitter rivals Roma for the first edition of the famous Derby del Sole of 2025/26. The reverse fixture takes place at the Maradona Stadium in mid-February.

Another mouth-watering game awaits Napoli in early December when they meet fellow title rivals Juventus at home. Napoli will wrap up 2025 with an away clash against newly-promoted Cremonese, before opening the new year with a visit to Lazio in Rome.

January may decide the fate of Napoli’s title defense, considering they meet Inter, Juventus, and Fiorentina during a brutal four-game patch. Napoli’s next big test arrives in early April as they entertain Milan on home turf. Finally, their season ends at home against Udinese.

Transfer Business

It’s been a busy summer in Naples. Keen to fortify their status as the leading Scudetto candidates, Napoli have completed several exciting deals, including the arrival of Manchester City legend Kevin De Bruyne on a free transfer.

Despite finishing the 2024/25 season as the only Serie A team to concede fewer than 30 goals, Napoli have added to their defensive options. In addition to Luca Marianucci, they’ve signed Sam Beukema from Bologna to increase competition for places at the back.

Towering goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic has arrived from Torino on a season-long loan, probably to take Alex Meret’s place between the sticks. Further reinforcements have come in attack, with Lorenzo Lucca joining from Udinese on loan with a mandatory buyout clause.

Noa Lang has swapped PSV Eindhoven for Naples to strengthen an already formidable-looking frontline. With Lang and Lucca set for prominent roles, Napoli have offloaded several fringe forwards, including Giovanni Simeone, Jesper Lindstrom, and Cyril Ngonge.

They have all left the club on loan. Meanwhile, the Italian giants have sold Giacomo Raspadori to Atletico Madrid and Victor Osimhen to Galatasaray. Natan has signed a permanent contract with Betis, while Elia Caprile and Gianluca Gaetano moved to Cagliari.

Starting Line-up

Despite perfecting a 3-5-2 system throughout his trophy-laden managerial career, Conte has switched to a 4-3-3 formation at the Maradona Stadium. Napoli should line up in this set-up next term.

As aforementioned, Milinkovic-Savic is likely to dislodge Meret from the starting XI. In defense, Beukema should partner up with Alessandro Buongiorno at the heart of the backline, with Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Leonardo Spinazzola operating on the flanks.

Stanislav Lobotka has a guaranteed starting berth in midfield. The same goes for last season’s MVP, Scott McTominay, which leaves Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa the only long-serving stalwart in doubt. Indeed, De Bruyne may take his place in the engine room.

Further changes may take place in the final third. Though Romelu Lukaku will lead the line despite Lucca’s signing, Lang should be a new inclusion. The Dutchman is the favorite to start on the left wing, with Matteo Politano expected to retain his spot on the right.

(4-3-3): Milinkovic-Savic; Di Lorenzo, Beukema, Buongiorno, Spinazzola; De Bruyne, Lobotka, McTominay; Politano, Lang, Lukaku.

Prediction

It’s uncharted territory for Napoli. Unaccustomed to a title-favorite tag, Conte’s side will have to cope with a different kind of pressure this season.

However, they have a golden opportunity to go back-to-back. With Inter facing the uncertainty of Cristian Chivu and Juventus struggling to strengthen their squad, Napoli seem like the best-equipped team in Serie A on paper.

It will be exciting to see if they can live up to pre-season expectations, but we believe they have what it takes to achieve another success.

Predicted finish: 1st