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

Stadio Diego Armando Maradona sets the stage for a mouth-watering Serie A clash between Napoli and Milan on Easter Monday. After Inter’s dominant home win over Roma last night, this heavyweight showdown has all the makings of a ‘best-of-the-rest’ duel.

Napoli headed into March’s international break in high spirits, as a 1-0 win at Cagliari last time out propelled them within striking distance of table-topping Inter. However, the Nerazzurri re-established a comfortable ten-point cushion at the top of the standings with a commanding 5-2 victory over Roma yesterday, dampening the Partenopei’s hopes of defending the Scudetto.

Nevertheless, Napoli will take the field in a buoyant mood, enjoying their longest winning streak in Serie A this season. Indeed, Antonio Conte’s men have won their last four league matches in a row, with three of those four triumphs yielding an identical 2-1 final score. Ominously, the reigning holders found themselves on the receiving end of that scoreline in September’s reverse fixture at San Siro.

As a result of that win, Milan could complete their first league double over Napoli for the first time since the 2011/12 season. Anything less is likely to end the Rossoneri’s quest to secure a long-awaited 20th Scudetto, as they trail runaway leaders Inter by a whopping nine points. With only seven games left to play after this round, Massimiliano Allegri’s charges no longer have a margin for error.

Match Preview

Napoli

Playing at the Maradona Stadium should fill Conte with confidence, given that Napoli remain the only Serie A side yet to lose a home match this season (W10, D4). Furthermore, Conte has only beaten Cagliari more often in his trophy-laden managerial career than upcoming rivals Milan, strengthening the home side’s hopes of avenging September’s heartbreak in Lombardy.

It’s also worth noting that the Partenopei beat Milan 2-0 in December’s Supercoppa Italiana clash in Saudi Arabia. Adding to the feel-good factor, Napoli have not lost any of their last 11 Monday-held Serie A outings (W7, D4) stretching back to January 2020. Even if Conte’s men maintain that streak with another win, this promises to be a highly dramatic affair.

To put that into perspective, eight of Napoli’s ten home league victories this season have come by a one-goal margin. Additionally, none of the last three competitive meetings between Napoli and Milan at this stadium has seen the teams separated by more than one goal (W1, D2) since the Rossoneri’s thumping 4-0 victory here in April 2023.

Milan

Milan must overcome their ‘Naples jinx’ if they’re to stay relevant in the title race, looking to build on a nerve-shredding 3-2 home triumph over Torino on the stroke of the international break. Allegri’s side responded well to a dismal 1-0 loss at Lazio on their last road trip, yet the visitors’ form has recently fallen off a cliff.

Indeed, two of Milan’s three league defeats this season came in their last five games (W3). However, with only Inter (34) accruing more points on their Serie A travels this Milan (32) this season, it’s hard to put it past the Rossoneri to end their drought at the Maradona Stadium tonight (W9, D5, L1). Still, it would require Allegri to defy his dreadful managerial record against Conte.

The 58-year-old has won just two of his ten previous clashes against the Napoli head coach (D2, L6), underlining the scale of the challenge awaiting him in this high-stakes encounter. Conceding first may not necessarily mean another loss for Allegri, considering Milan have picked up a league-high 14 points from losing positions this term.

Team News

Napoli boss Conte is still missing Romelu Lukaku, David Neres, Amir Rrahmani, Antonio Vergara, and captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo due to injury. On the bright side, the Partenopei welcomed midfield duo Scott McTominay and Kevin De Bruyne back to the squad just before the club season hit a pause button to accommodate the crunch FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

On the other hand, reliable center-back Matteo Gabbia remains the only notable absentee in the Milan squad. Despite resuming full training during the international break, star midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek is likely to start on the bench, with Youssouf Fofana expected to partner up with Luka Modric and Adrien Rabiot in the engine room.

Napoli vs Milan Potential Starting Lineups

Napoli (3-4-2-1): Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Buongiorno, Jesus; Politano, Anguissa, Lobotka, Spinazzola; McTominay, De Bruyne; Hojlund.

Milan (3-5-2): Maignan; Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Pulisic, Leao.

Napoli vs Milan Prediction

Given the fine margins that have defined this fixture in recent years, another closely fought contest seems inevitable. Napoli’s formidable home record and current winning streak give them a slight edge, but Milan’s ability to recover from losing positions cannot be overlooked.

With both sides carrying strengths that could cancel each other out, a high-intensity stalemate appears the most likely outcome.