Napoli face a crucial game in their fight to reclaim the Scudetto from Inter Milan as they welcome AC Milan to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Antonio Conte’s second-placed team are three points behind his former club in the Serie A title race, but they could be six adrift by the time they kick off on Sunday. Inter face Udinese a few hours beforehand, while third-placed Atalanta can draw level on points with Napoli earlier in the day when they take on Fiorentina.
A run of just one win in their last seven games has damaged Napoli’s title hopes, and they will be desperate to regain momentum quickly following the international break.
In that sense, Milan perhaps represent ideal opposition. The Rossoneri sit a hugely underwhelming ninth in Serie A. Out of Europe, they are facing an uphill battle to even claim a Conference League spot.
Milan are four points behind Lazio in sixth and, having lost their last three games going into a meeting with the side with the best defensive record in Serie A, optimism of them prevailing away from home is likely to be thin on the ground.
Napoli forward David Neres is poised to return after over a month on the sideline because of a thigh injury, though Giacomo Raspadori will likely continue to partner Romelu Lukaku up front.
Emerson Royal remains out for Milan with a calf problem, while Yunus Musah is suspended.
Napoli: Meret Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno Politano, Anguissa, Lobotka, McTominay, Spinazzola Raspadori, Lukaku
AC Milan: Maignan Walker, Thiaw, Gabbia, Hernandez; Bondo, Fofana Pulisic, Reijnders, Leao, Abraham
In the UK, the game will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1. It can also be streamed on Discovery Plus and, for TNT Sports customers with a Sky subscription, on Sky Go.
Milan haven’t tasted victory in Napoli since a 4-0 victory in April 2023. With their recent struggles defensively and the hosts’ solidity at the back, it’s tough to envisage Milan doing Inter a favour.
Napoli have had the chance to reset following a difficult run of results, and they’ll be expected to bounce back and ensure a compelling title race remains tight.
