Napoli vs AC Milan – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

AC Milan travel away from home to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Monday night as they face Napoli in their next Serie A encounter.

Napoli vs AC Milan – Match preview and team news

Napoli team news

Napoli’s preparations for tonight’s clash at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona have been heavily disrupted by a defensive crisis and internal friction.

Manager Antonio Conte is forced to overhaul his backline. Captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo remains sidelined with a knee injury, and is joined by Amir Rrahmani (thigh), and Antonio Vergara (foot).

David Neres (ankle) is also unavailable. Further complicating matters is the likely omission of star striker Romelu Lukaku, who reportedly skipped training following a dispute over a muscular issue.

However, Kevin De Bruyne is expected to start and provide much-needed creativity alongside Scott McTominay.

With Rasmus Hojlund leading the line, Napoli will rely on a makeshift defence featuring Beukema and Buongiorno to stifle Milan’s revamped attack. Despite the absences, the home side remains desperate for points to maintain its standing in the upper echelon of the Serie A table.

AC Milan team news

AC Milan enters this fixture with a relatively healthier squad, though Massimiliano Allegri is reportedly weighing a “radical revamp” of his starting eleven.

While Matteo Gabbia and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have struggled with fitness recently, the latter has resumed partial training and could feature.

The biggest talking point surrounds the frontline; reports suggest Allegri may bench stars Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic in favour of a physical duo consisting of Niclas Fullkrug and Christopher Nkunku.

Although Leao has fully recovered from a hip and groin issue, his minutes may be managed to ensure long-term fitness.

Supported by a veteran midfield featuring Luka Modrić and Youssouf Fofana, the Rossoneri aim to exploit Napoli’s depleted defence. This tactical shift signals a desire for a more direct approach as they look to secure a crucial away victory.

Form

Napoli

Napoli is on an impressive run of form, having won their last four consecutive league matches following a period of injury struggles.

Their most recent outing was a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Cagliari, a result that moved them to 62 points and solidified their third-place standing.

Antonio Conte’s side has been particularly dominant at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, remaining unbeaten in 20 of their last 21 home games. Their resilience is evident, as they have recovered 12 points from losing positions this season.

AC Milan

AC Milan maintains a slight edge in second place with 63 points, boasting a remarkably consistent record of only two losses in their last 29 league fixtures. They head into this clash following a thrilling 3-2 win over Torino.

The Rossoneri have been formidable travellers, possessing the league’s best away defence and conceding just 0.67 goals per game on the road. Their mental toughness is a hallmark, having earned a league-high 14 points from trailing positions.

Predicted lineups

Napoli: Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Buongiorno, Jesus; Politano, Anguissa, Lobotka, Spinazzola; McTominay, De Bruyne; Hojlund

AC Milan: Maignan; Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Nkunku, Fullkrug.

How to watch Napoli vs AC Milan?

The match is on TNT Sports and DAZN in the UK.

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