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

Napoli and Inter Milan clash at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Saturday evening in one of the most highly anticipated fixtures of the Serie A season.

Both sides sit level on 15 points after seven matches, separated only by goal difference, making this an early Scudetto showdown between last season’s top two.

Napoli vs Inter Milan – Match Preview and Team News

Napoli Team News

Antonio Conte faces a significant injury crisis ahead of this crucial encounter. Midfielder Stanislav Lobotka remains sidelined with an adductor injury that is expected to keep him out for three to four weeks. Billy Gilmour is likely to deputise in the midfield. Centre-back Amir Rrahmani is also unavailable with a hamstring injury sustained on international duty.

Goalkeeper Nikita Contini is out with a broken hand, while striker Romelu Lukaku continues to battle a thigh injury. The attacking concerns deepened when both Rasmus Højlund and Scott McTominay picked up injuries, though the latter managed to score twice in Tuesday’s heavy defeat at PSV despite playing through discomfort.

Following Tuesday’s Champions League debacle, Conte admitted his side had signed “too many” players in the summer, suggesting the nine new arrivals have disrupted the team’s chemistry. “Last season, we won the Scudetto with a limited squad who were cohesive and united,” Conte told Sky Sport Italia.

“This year we have more matches and added more players. Nine signings felt excessive to me, but it was necessary. We have considerable work ahead to rebuild the chemistry we had last year.”

Inter Milan Team News

Cristian Chivu will be without star striker Marcus Thuram, who remains sidelined with a thigh injury sustained during Inter’s Champions League victory over Slavia Prague in late September. The French forward has failed to regain full fitness and will miss both this weekend’s clash and next week’s fixture against Fiorentina, with a return targeted for early November.

Veteran wingback Matteo Darmian is also ruled out after sustaining a soleus muscle strain in his left leg. The 35-year-old is expected to miss at least two weeks and was not ready for the Roma match last weekend.

Ange-Yoan Bonny is set to continue in attack alongside Martínez. The young French striker has been in excellent form, scoring three goals and providing three assists in seven Serie A appearances this season, including the decisive goal in Inter’s 1-0 victory over Roma.

Form

Napoli

The defending champions have experienced a turbulent start to their title defence. After winning four of their opening five Serie A matches, Napoli have now lost twice in their last three league fixtures, with defeats coming away at AC Milan (2-1) and Torino (1-0). Their attacking threat remains potent, having scored in every Serie A match except the loss to Torino, but defensive frailties have emerged with no clean sheets in eight consecutive matches.

The midweek Champions League humiliation in Eindhoven has raised serious questions about the team’s ability to compete on multiple fronts. Conte’s extensive squad rotation and the integration of nine summer signings appear to be causing cohesion issues.

Inter Milan

Inter are in scintillating form, having overcome a difficult start to the season that included defeats to Udinese and Juventus in August and September. Since their 4-3 loss to the Bianconeri, Chivu’s side have been flawless, winning seven consecutive matches across all competitions.

The Nerazzurri have found their rhythm both defensively and offensively under their rookie head coach. They have scored 27 goals in their first ten matches of the season, averaging nearly three goals per game and netting at least two goals in five of their last six matches. In the Champions League, Inter have maximum points from their opening three games and are yet to concede a goal in Europe.

Chivu has successfully implemented a more aggressive pressing system while maintaining defensive solidity, with the team positioned roughly eight metres higher up the pitch compared to last season.

Predicted Lineups

Napoli: Milinkovic-Savic, Di Lorenzo, Buekema, Burongiorno, Spinazzola, Gilmour, Politano, De Bruyne, McTominay, Anguissa; Lucca.

Inter Milan: Sommer, Acerbi, Akanji, Bastoni, Dumfries, Barella, Mkhitaryan, Calhanoglu, Di Marco, Bonny, Martinez.

How to Watch Napoli vs Inter Milan?

UK fans can watch the match live on TNT Sports 1 and DAZN. The fixture will also be available to stream on the Discovery+ platform for TNT Sports subscribers.

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