One of the most highly anticipated fixtures in the Serie A calendar takes place at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona today as Napoli and Inter renew hostilities. With only goal difference separating the sides before the kick-off, the stakes are high for last season’s top-two finishers.

Napoli won the Scudetto in Antonio Conte’s first season in charge of the club. However, the Partenopei didn’t have to deal with the pressure of European football following a dreadful 10th-place finish in 2023/24. Continental duties have put an additional squeeze on their schedule this term, leading to a string of underwhelming results at the start of the campaign.

After seeing Noa Lang’s last-gasp equalizer overturned by VAR in a dismal 1-0 defeat at Torino last weekend, Napoli slumped to an embarrassing 6-2 loss at PSV Eindhoven in midweek Champions League action. There’s no doubt that beating Inter would hand the southern giants the ultimate confidence boost, yet that could prove easier said than done.

In stark contrast to Napoli’s recent struggles, Inter have hit a purple patch since losing back-to-back league games in early September. Cristian Chivu’s charges have since won seven competitive matches on the trot, including a remarkable 4-0 victory over Royale Union SG on Tuesday. Furthermore, Ange-Yoan Bonny netted a winning goal in last weekend’s narrow 1-0 triumph at Roma in Serie A.

Therefore, the Nerazzurri should head into proceedings in high spirits, looking to extend a two-game unbeaten away streak against Napoli (W1, D1). Achieving that feat with a win would see Inter overtake fellow San Siro rivals Milan at the summit, with Chivu’s side lagging two points behind the Rossoneri, who shared the spoils with Pisa last night.

Match Preview

Napoli

Despite Napoli’s patchy form, they can draw confidence from their scintillating form at the Maradona Stadium. Indeed, they have won all three home league matches this season, stretching their unbeaten run in such fixtures to 14 (W11, D3). However, they’ve often struggled for conviction, as seven of those 11 wins yielded a single-goal margin.

Slow out of the blocks, Napoli have only scored one first-half goal on home turf this season. Five of their six league goals in Naples arrived after halftime, highlighting the potential for another cagey start before finding their rhythm as the game wears on.

Despite averaging 1.71 goals per game, Napoli have attempted a joint-league high 39 shots on target this season. Therefore, their struggles in front of goal stem more from poor finishing than a lack of creativity. Unfortunately for the home faithful, standout striker Romelu Lukaku remains on the sidelines with a long-term injury.

Inter

If there’s a side capable of knocking Napoli down from their superb home run, it’s Inter. Chivu’s men have emerged as a bogey opposition for the Partenopei, suffering just one defeat across the last 13 meetings between the sides (W6, D6). Yet, it’s worth noting that the three most recent encounters between Inter and Napoli produced an identical 1-1 scoreline.

Keeping Napoli at bay could be Inter’s best chance of claiming three points here, considering they have scored precisely once in nine of their last 11 matches against this opposition. That’s not out of the realm of possibility, as five of their last seven wins have come with an accompanying clean sheet.

Adding to the visiting fans’ optimism, Inter have finally rediscovered their away form after a period of stagnation under former manager Simone Inzaghi. Chivu’s lads have racked up six wins from their last seven road games in all competitions (L1), except for a controversial 4-3 Derby d’Italia defeat at the hands of Juventus in September.

Team News

In addition to Lukaku, Napoli will be without several other first-team stalwarts for this mouth-watering clash. Star playmaker Stanislav Lobotka is out with a thigh injury. The same applies to first-choice center-back Amir Rrahmani and goalkeeper Alex Meret. With Rasmus Hojlund also in the treatment room, Lorenzo Lucca will likely lead the line despite picking up a bizarre red card against PSV.

On the other hand, Inter cannot call upon the services of talismanic striker Marcus Thuram. However, Bonny has thrived in his absence and will probably partner up with Lautaro Martinez in attack. After being rested against Royale Union, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Nicolo Barella are expected to reclaim their spots in the starting eleven at the expense of Davide Frattesi and Piotr Zielinski.

Napoli vs Inter Potential Starting Line-ups

Napoli (4-1-4-1): Milinkovic-Savic; Di Lorenzo, Beukema, Buongiorno, Spinazzola; Gilmour; Politano, Anguissa, De Bruyne, McTominay; Lucca.

Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Akanji, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Bonny, Martinez.

Napoli vs Inter Prediction

Despite being on opposite sides of the positivity spectrum ahead of this blockbuster, this won’t be a one-sided affair. Instead, we expect Conte’s team to defy recent woes and avoid defeat in front of their home supporters.

Prediction: Draw