Stadio Diego Armando Maradona sets the stage for a high-stakes Serie A showdown between defending champions Napoli and mid-table Sassuolo. Both sides desperately need three points here for different reasons, which promises an intense contest on the south coast.

Scott McTominay’s brace that helped Napoli avoid defeat at Inter last Sunday was in vain as Parma held Antonio Conte’s side to a scoreless draw at this stadium on Wednesday. As a result, the hosts entered the weekend six points adrift of the table-topping Nerazzurri.

Needless to say, failure is not an option here. Three consecutive league draws have significantly compromised Napoli’s hopes of defending the title for the first time in club history. There’s an intense pressure on the Partenopei to get back to winning ways against a side they have defeated in their last six meetings.

Sassulo may have already staved off relegation fears, steering nine points clear of 18th-placed Fiorentina. However, their faint hopes of securing European qualification are in tatters after an underwhelming six-game winless run (D3, L3) left them 11 points behind sixth-placed Como.

Despite putting up a valiant effort at the Stadio Olimpico last weekend, Sassuolo conceded twice in quick succession en route to a 2-0 defeat at Roma. More importantly, that marked their second consecutive multi-goal margin loss to Serie A’s traditional top four after a 3-0 rout at the hands of Juventus.

Match Preview

Napoli

Napoli cannot afford to lose further ground on Inter, and there’s no better place to inspire their return to the win column than the Maradona Stadium. Indeed, Conte’s men have pieced together a jaw-dropping 20-match unbeaten Serie A run on home turf  (W14, D6), though their last two outings here ended all square.

That imperious run looks likely to continue, considering Conte has been a bogey coach for Sassuolo, avoiding defeat in his last eight managerial appearances against this opposition (W7, D1). Further confidence stems from Napoli’s three-game winning home streak against the Neroverdi. During that sequence, they scored 12 goals and conceded just one in return.

A slow start may not necessarily interrupt that dominant stretch, knowing Napoli avoided defeat in both home league matches this season when conceding the opening goal (W1, D1). That’s hardly surprising, given that 62.5% of Napoli’s home goals this season arrived in the second half of play (10/16).

Sassuolo

In contrast to Napoli’s well-documented fighting spirit, Sassuolo have shown very little ‘bounce back’ ability. Indeed, they have suffered four defeats in five away league games after conceding the opener (D1). With that in mind, falling behind could spell the end of the visitors’ plan to upset the odds in Naples.

However, this has not been a happy hunting ground for Sassuolo historically. For context, they have only won one of their 12 previous away meetings with Napoli (D2, L9), perhaps best illustrating the magnitude of the task ahead. Defying that unwanted piece of tradition seems unlikely, as they head into proceedings on a four-game winless away league run (D2, L2).

Moreover, Sassuolo’s defensive woes have seen them concede precisely twice in three of their last four Serie A matches on the road. It’s also worth noting that they have lost all seven top-flight fixtures when trailing at halftime this season,  highlighting the importance of a solid first-half performance.

Team News

In addition to long-term absentees Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne, Napoli will also be without Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Billy Gilmour, as well as Italian goalkeeper Alex Meret. On the bright side, Juan Jesus returns from a one-game ban. David Neres also rejoined the squad in midweek.

On the other hand, Sassuolo boss Fabio Grosso cannot count on star forward Domenico Berardi. Additionally, Kristian Thorstvedt, Daniel Boloca, Fali Cande, and Cristian Volpato are also on the sidelines. With Berardi and Thorstvedt, Andrea Pinamonti and Armand Lauriente are expected to lead the line.

Napoli vs Sassuolo Potential Starting Lineups

Napoli (3-4-2-1): Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Rrahmani, Jesus; Di Lorenzo, Lobotka, McTominay, Spinazzola; Vergara, Elmas; Hojlund.

Sassuolo (4-3-3): Muric; Walukiewicz, Idzes, Muharemovic, Doig; Lipani, Matic, Kone; Fadera, Pinamonti, Lauriente.

Napoli vs Sassuolo Prediction

It would be too much to expect Conte to drop points in four consecutive league games. Despite Napoli’s rough patch, this game has all the makings of a ‘must-win’ clash, and the hosts undoubtedly have what it takes to get back to winning ways.

Prediction: Napoli to Win