Serie A’s two unbeaten sides will lock horns at the weekend as league leaders Napoli play host to second-placed Inter Milan in what should be an exciting matchup at the Stadio San Paolo.
Despite leaving England midweek with a 2-1 loss at the hands of Manchester City, Gli Azzurri have been on fire in the league this season. They are the only side that has maintained a 100% winning record, capturing eight wins off their first eight games.
The Nerazzurri, on the other hand, did not compete in midweek action but are heading into the encounter on the back of a thrilling 3-2 Derby della Madonnina victory over rivals AC Milan.
Key Battle – Maurizio Sarri vs Luciano Spalletti
Both managers have guided their teams to undefeated starts so far in the 2017-18 Serie A season, with all but two points separating the two sides.
Sarri’s men gained an important 1-0 victory away against AS Roma on matchday eight courtesy of Lorenzo Insigne’s first half goal.
Spalletti’s outfit almost looked settled for a point, before a controversial penalty decision saw Mauro Icardi cap off his hat-trick to defeat local rivals AC Milan in the Derby.
Sarri’s team have been lethal in front of goal so far this season, scoring 26 goals, the most in the league. While they have been scoring goals at one end, they have also been rock solid in defence, tied first with opponents Inter and AS Roma for conceding the least with five.
It will be an interesting tactical battle to say the least, with both managers expected to set up with a 4-3-3 formation or in Inter’s case a slight shift to a 4-2-3-1.
A victory for Spalletti in Naples will cement the Nerazzurri as serious Scudetto contenders.
Team News
The home side is hopeful star Insigne will be fit for the weekend after the Italian picked up a thigh injury. It is unknown whether the 26-year-old will be involved at all at the weekend.
Arkadiusz Milik is still injured with a cruciate ligament rupture he sustained last month and it is unlikely the Polish striker will return until around January 2018.
For the away team, Marcelo Brozovic is still recovering from a muscle problem he picked up during international duty with Croatia. He missed the derby and it is still unclear whether the Croatian will be fit in time for the clash.
Joao Mario also missed the derby match due to tonsillitis and his status is still unknown for the upcoming match.
Head-to-Head
The two teams have met on 36 occasions, with Inter holding the slight advantage of 15 wins, compared to Napoli’s 14 and seven draws.
Previous Meeting
In the sides’ previous meeting, which was in April this year, Napoli left the San Siro with a 1-0 victory thanks to a goal from Jose Callejon two minutes before the interval.
Prediction
The Partenopei are rightfully the favorites heading into this encounter, given their excellent 100% winning start to the season.
Inter will have to watch out for the Naples side’s attacking quality, with or without Insigne.
Gli Azzurri has been showcasing to the world their attacking quality, and these performances have caught the eye of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who described Napoli as one of the best teams he has ever faced.
Despite looking very solid defensively in the opening weeks of the season, the Nerazzurri have only managed to keep one clean sheet in their last four league matches and coming into a game like this, their defense will be tested throughout the 90 minutes.
Ultimately, the possible exclusion of Insigne could prove pivotal in this match and Spalletti should hope his men take full advantage of that.
Mauro Icardi will be looking to extend his goals tally into double figures while opposing forward Dries Mertens is not far off the Argentine with seven goals of his own.
Credits: Dailyfootballshow
