Napoli will welcome Inter Milan at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Serie A on Sunday evening.
After winning the league last term, the Azzurri decided to let Luciano Spalletti leave and appoint Rudi Garcia as the new head coach. But, the Frenchman couldn’t help Napoli to continue showcasing their best so after a string of poor results, he was sacked. Walter Mazzarri has now been appointed as the new boss.
Napoli have struggled this season, sitting fourth in the table with 24 points from 13 games and eight points behind the table topper Inter.
Napoli won their previous league game against Atalanta last weekend, but they will be coming into this fixture off the back of a disappointing 4-2 defeat versus Real Madrid in the Champions League.
On the other hand, Inter have enjoyed a stellar start to this season, losing only one game in all competitions. So, Simone Inzaghi’s side are currently full of confidence ahead of this encounter.
Along with the league, the Nerazzurri have also enjoyed a promising campaign in the Champions League this season and have already secured their place in the knockout stage.
Previous meetings
Napoli have endured a tough time against Inter in recent years as they have won only once out of the last eight encounters versus their Sunday’s opponent in Serie A, losing five of those occasions. So, the Azzurri will be desperate to win the game on Sunday and rectify their record against Inter.
How to watch
The match will begin at 7:45 pm UK time and the game will be televised live on TNT Sports channels in the UK. Match going fans can buy Napoli vs Inter Milan tickets online if you want to watch the match live in person.
Team news
Napoli are likely to be without two of their left-backs Mathias Olivera and Mario Rui due to their respective issues. After returning from his injury problems, Victor Osimhen made a couple of appearances off the bench in the last two games. But, he should be ready to commence on Sunday.
However, new summer signing Jesper Lindstrom could be unavailable for selection in this fixture owing to an injury problem.
For Inter, Alessandro Bastoni and Benjamin Pavard are set to miss out on this game due to their respective issues, while Denzel Dumfries is in doubt ahead of this game owing to an injury problem. But, he should be fit enough to start. Apart from that, Inzaghi will have a full squad to choose from for this encounter.
Predicted line-up
Mazzarri is set to deploy a 4-3-3 formation with Alex Meret likely to continue in goal. Giovanni Di Lorenzo should start at right-back, while Juan Jesus could be in the left-back position. Amir Rrahmani and Natan are expected to be the centre-back pairing for Napoli.
Stanislav Labotka is set to start in the deep-lying playmaker position, while Piotr Zielinski and Frank Anguissa should complete the midfield trio. Matteo Politano and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia might start on both flanks with Victor Osimhen expected to lead the line for the Azzurri.
Expected Napoli line-up vs Inter Milan
Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Natan, Jesus; Labotka, Zielinski, Anguissa; Kvaratskhelia, Osimhen, Politano
As for Inter, Inzaghi usually deploys a 3-5-2 formation and is likely to go with the same system this weekend. The Inter boss opted to shuffle his starting eleven last time out but is expected to go with the strongest eleven in this game.
Yan Sommer should start in goal for Inter after a midweek breather. Matteo Darmian, Stefan De Vrij and Francesco Acerbi could be the back three for the Nerazzurri.
Denzel Dumfries is likely to return to the starting eleven and start in the right-wing back position, while Federico Dimarco should be on the opposite side. Hakan Calhanoglu is set to commence in the holding midfield position with Nicolo Barella and Henrikh Mkhitaryan could start in the box-to-box role.
Lautaro Martínez and Marcus Thuram are set to start in the centre-forward position, in that case, Marco Arnautovic and Alexis Sanchez will go back to the bench.
Expected Inter Milan line-up vs Napoli
Sommer; Darmian, De Vrij, Acerbi; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco, Thuram, Martinez
Key players
Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen were the mainstay of Napoli’s title-winning campaign last term but neither of them have managed to replicate last season’s form this season. So, the Azzurri fans will be hoping that they will be able to find form in this game and help his side win the game.
The duo is talented enough to guide Napoli to victory on Sunday so Inter will have to keep a close eye on them to minimise their threats as much as possible.
Zielinski is Napoli’s main creative player in midfield so the onus will be on him to present opportunities for the attackers. Politano is in fine form this season so he could create problems for the Inter backline.
The responsibility will be on Natan and Rrahmani to repel opposition attacks and help his side earn a clean-sheet in this encounter.
As for Inter, Martinez has been displaying promising performances this season, scoring 13 goals and registering a solitary assist in 13 league appearances. So, Napoli will have to find a solution to stop him if they wish to win this game.
New summer signing, Marcus Thuram has enjoyed a stellar start in Serie A, scoring four goals and notching up six assists in 13 Serie A appearances. So, Inter’s frontmen are on fire at the moment and the Nerazzurri fans will be hoping that they will continue their impressive displays in this encounter as well.
Inter’s wing-backs, Dimarco and Dumfries have been showcasing their productivity in front of the goal this season. So, Napoli will have to find a solution to stop them in order to come away with all three points this weekend.
Inter’s defence is the best in Serie A, conceding only seven goals in 13 games. So, it will be tough for Napoli to score goals bypassing the back three of Acerbi, De Vrij and Darmian.
Prediction
Napoli haven’t had a great start to this season so they are currently lacking confidence. Therefore, although the Azzurri will be at home, they will be the underdog in this game. Inter have already faced four of the top seven clubs in Serie A, winning three of those encounters and drawing one.
On the other hand, Napoli have faced three of the top seven clubs in Italian top-flight, winning one and losing one. Inter are the most in-form team in Italy so they will be the toughest league assignment for Napoli.
They may face defeat in this encounter. However, it is going to be interesting to see how the game eventually unfolds on Sunday evening. Napoli 1-2 Inter Milan
