Serie A Preview: Milan vs Napoli – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

Stadio San Siro sets the stage for a mouth-watering Serie A showdown between in-form Milan and undefeated Napoli. Although the home team sits third in the standings before the kick-off, this fixture has all the makings of an early Scudetto six-pointer.

Only three points separate the two sides heading into this Serie A blockbuster. Milan have recovered from a disappointing 2-1 home loss to newly promoted Cremonese on the opening weekend, winning their subsequent three league games without conceding.

Massimiliano Allegri’s side put Udinese to the sword last weekend, strolling to a 3-0 victory at the Bluenergy Stadium en route to their fourth consecutive win over the Friulian outfit. Milan’s confidence received another boost in midweek Coppa Italia action, as they replicated the identical scoreline to overcome Lecce in the round of 32.

On the other hand, Napoli squeezed past newcomers Pisa 3-2 on home turf last weekend, maintaining a perfect start to their title defense. Antonio Conte’s men have won all four league matches at the start of the new Serie A season for the first time since 2021/22. Bringing last season into the equation, they’re unbeaten in 11 successive league games.

However, Napoli’s Scudetto credentials face a stern test here. Despite their flawless top-flight start, the Partenopei slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Manchester City in the Champions League, which remains their only high-profile contest to date this term.

Match Preview

Milan

Allegri will return to the touchline after serving a one-game ban against Udinese last time out. The trophy-laden manager lost his temper toward the end of Milan’s dramatic 1-0 win over Bologna in their most recent home outing. Interestingly, five of Milan’s last six competitive matches at San Siro saw the winning side keep a clean sheet.

Furthermore, Milan registered a shutout in each of their last six wins across all competitions, highlighting the significance of scoring first. Three clean-sheet victories in a row for the first time since February 2023 make for good reading, with the Rossoneri bidding to make it four for the first time in five years.

However, Napoli have recently been a bogey team for Milan. Last season, the seven-time European champions lost both league meetings with the reigning holders, including a 2-0 defeat at this stadium. Those results form part of Milan’s underwhelming eight-game record in this fixture (D3, L4), testifying to the size of the task ahead.

Napoli

Napoli’s 11-match unbeaten run in Serie A accounts for the longest ongoing undefeated streak across Europe’s traditional top-five leagues. Moreover, the visitors have been dominant on their recent top-flight travels, racking up four wins to nil across their last five away league games (D1).

Indeed, Napoli have gone from strength to strength under Conte, losing just once in their 20 previous away matches in Serie A (W12, D7), conceding only 12 goals during that stretch. As a result, the Partenopei will take this trip in high spirits, looking to reduce the gap in the all-time record against Milan (W70, D54, L53).

Defensive solidity has been vital to Napoli’s road success, with Conte’s charges keeping five clean sheets across their last seven away league outings. Therefore, it’s barely surprising that only two of their previous eight road fixtures saw both teams on the scoresheet, again underlining the importance of the first goal.

Team News

Except for long-term absentee Ardon Jashari, Allegri should have the remainder of his squad fit for this clash of titans. Indeed, standout performer Rafael Leao could start on the bench after recovering from injury, with Christian Pulisic and Santiago Gimenez expected to lead the line in his absence. Meanwhile, Milan will likely rely on Luka Modric to run things in the middle of the park.

As for Napoli, star center-back Alessandro Buongiorno has joined Romelu Lukaku on the sidelines. Brazilian veteran Juan Jesus will probably take the Italian’s place in defense, alongside Sam Beukema. Second-string wingback Pasquale Mazzocchi is the only doubt in the traveling squad.

Milan vs Napoli Potential Starting Line-ups

Milan (3-5-2): Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Estupinan; Pulisic, Gimenez.

Napoli (4-1-4-1): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Beukema, Jesus, Spinazzola; Lobotka; Politano, Anguissa, De Bruyne, McTominay; Hojlund.

Milan vs Napoli Prediction

Victory for either side could set the tone for the rest of the campaign. However, with both teams carrying momentum and defensive solidity into this contest, we expect neither to give much away. A hard-fought draw looks like the likeliest outcome.