Serie A Preview: Napoli vs Como – Team News, Lineups & Prediction | OneFootball

Stadio Diego Armando Maradona sets the stage for a mouth-watering Serie A clash between Napoli and Como. Sunday’s showdown in Naples pits last season’s runners-up against a side that beat Milan and Juventus to a coveted fourth-place finish on the final day of the campaign.

Despite a second-place finish in 2025/26, Napoli parted ways with Antonio Conte at the end of the season. Massimiliano Allegri, who replaced the former Inter and Juventus boss after a disappointing season with Milan, enjoyed a winning start to his tenure at the Maradona Stadium.

Late goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Antonio Vergara propelled Napoli to a 2-0 win at Genoa. However, it’s worth noting that the Belgian midfielder’s opener stirred a lot of controversy, casting a shadow on Allegri’s triumphant start. De Bruyne committed a clear foul on Johan Vasquez, but neither referee Marco Di Bello nor VAR intervened to overturn the decision.

Como, on the other hand, commenced the new season with a whimper rather than a bang. As one of only two teams to share the spoils on the opening Serie A weekend, Cesc Fabregas’ side had to fight back from a halftime deficit to hold Udinese to a 1-1 draw at the Bluenergy Stadium, with Anastasios Douvikas continuing to deliver the goods with a second-half equalizer.

The Lariani, who are preparing to face Manchester United, Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain in their debut UEFA Champions League campaign, will have to perform much better if they’re to take points in Naples.

Match Preview

Napoli

After squeaking past Genoa, Napoli can win their opening two Serie A matches for the eighth time in ten years. That’s a distinct possibility, especially when factoring in their traditionally strong starts on home turf. Indeed, the Partenopei have won their first home league game of the season in the last ten years, underlining their knack for making a fast start at the Maradona Stadium.

Still, Napoli would be naive to take anything for granted. In addition to losing to Bologna and Lazio toward the end of their 2025/26 home campaign, the hosts notoriously struggled against Como last season. Both league meetings between the sides ended 0-0, while Fabregas’ side knocked the Partenopei out of the Coppa Italia quarter-finals on penalties.

Finding the opening goal might be crucial, given that just two of Napoli’s last ten Serie A games saw both teams score. Furthermore, they won each of their nine home league fixtures when leading at halftime last term, highlighting just how important it is for them to seize control early.

Como

Drawing in Udine against perennial mid-table strugglers wasn’t a perfect way for Como to kick off their third consecutive Serie A campaign. With several European heavyweights set to test Como’s credentials in the Champions League, head coach Fabregas must be desperate to send a message in the form of a big domestic scalp, such as Napoli.

That could prove easier said than done, as the Lariani secured just one away win against the other six teams to secure European qualification last season (D3, L2). Agonizingly slow Serie A starts may derail their chances of beating Napoli here in league action for the first time since 2002 even further, with seven of Como’s last eight top-flight goals coming after the halftime break.

On the bright side, the visitors have been defensively sound on the road, conceding more than one goal just once across their last 13 Serie A travels. It’s also impossible to overlook Nico Paz’s superb away form. Como’s standout performer has tallied six of his last eight league goals on hostile turf, suggesting he could be their biggest threat in Naples.

Team News

Napoli will be without defensive cornerstone Alessandro Buongiorno, with Chelsea loanee Benoit Badiashile expected to take his place at the back. In addition to the Frenchman, who could make his Serie A debut, De Bruyne may return to the starting lineup at the expense of Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, who flopped at the Marassi last weekend.

Meanwhile, summer addition Willy Kambwala remains the only notable absentee for Como, with Trevoh Chalobah likely to partner up with Jacobo Ramon at the heart of Fabregas’ backline after a decent Serie A debut. Jayden Addai remains on the sidelines, yet Assane Diao could dislodge Jesus Rodriguez on the left wing following the Spaniard’s bleak performance in Udine.

Napoli vs Como Potential Starting Lineups

Napoli (4-3-3): Meret; Spinazzola, Badiashile, Rrahmani, Di Lorenzo; De Bruyne, McTominay, Lobotka; Alisson Santos, Politano, Hojlund.

Como (4-2-3-1): Butez; Valle, Chalobah, Ramon, Yan Couto; Perrone, Milla; Paz, Baturina, Diao; Douvikas.

Napoli vs Como Prediction

With Napoli’s three competitive clashes against Como last season featuring only two goals in total, another low-scoring contest could be on the cards. Allegri’s teams have often thrived in such an environment, and the Partenopei should have enough defensive nous to edge another cagey affair at home.