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

Sunday’s Serie A action wraps up at the Stadio Olimpico with a mouth-watering showdown between Roma and Napoli. Only two points separate the sides ahead of the kick-off, with the home side slightly in front.

Roma lost their place at the summit last night as Milan beat Lazio at home, opening a one-point gap. However, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side can return to the top with a win here. Achieving that feat would see the Giallorossi post the second set of three consecutive league victories this season.

Two-goal margin wins over Cremonese and Udinese in the last two rounds have helped Roma bounce back from a narrow 1-0 loss at Milan. Yet, Gasperini’s charges have struggled against direct Scudetto rivals this term, losing to both San Siro clubs.

Napoli, on the other hand, recovered from a dismal three-game scoreless sequence in all competitions (D2, L1) with a 3-1 home triumph over Atalanta last weekend. The Partenopei received another confidence boost on Tuesday, beating Qarabag 2-0 in the Champions League.

However, Antonio Conte’s men are far from last season’s trophy-winning form. Victory over the pre-round leaders would reinforce their title credentials and signal that Napoli’s slump is truly behind them. Furthermore, Napoli’s recent record in the Derby del Sole can inspire confidence.

Match Preview

Roma

Except for a narrow 1-0 defeat in October 2022, Roma have gone unbeaten in three of their last four home league meetings with Napoli (W1, D2). Against this backdrop, Gasperini’s lads have only won one of their 11 previous matches against this opposition at any venue (D4, L6).

The Giallorossi can turn their fortunes around on the back of their best 12-game Serie A start since 2018/19. A scrappy 2-1 home triumph over Midtjylland in midweek Europa League action strengthened Roma’s spirits ahead of this fixture, marking their sixth win in their last seven competitive games (L1).

Slow out of the blocks, Roma have only scored two of their seven home league goals this season before halftime. Therefore, Gasperini will be desperate to see his side take control earlier, as they aim to end a three-game winless run against Napoli (D2, L1).

Napoli

Despite several slip-ups in the opening 12 rounds (W8, D1, L3), Napoli remain in contention for another Scudetto. The reigning champions sit only two points behind Roma, largely thanks to their outstanding home form (W5, D1). Yet, they’ve blown hot and cold on the road.

Conte’s men have won three of their six away league matches this term, losing the other three, including a 2-0 defeat at Bologna last time out. That result forms part of Napoli’s dreadful run of five losses from their six most recent road trips (W1), highlighting their vulnerability outside the Diego Maradona Stadium.

Napoli will be out to play down questions about their mental toughness in hostile environments. Moreover, they’ll seek their first away league goal from open play since September at the stadium, where they scored just one goal across their last four Serie A visits. As such, the visitors face a mammoth task on Sunday night.

Team News

Roma welcomed Paulo Dybala and Leon Bailey back from injuries on Thursday, with the former expected to lead the line in the absence of Artem Dovbyk. In addition to the Ukrainian striker, Gasperini will be without first-choice left-back Angelino, who remains sidelined with illness. With the Spaniard still unavailable, Wesley will likely operate on the left flank.

Meanwhile, numerous high-profile injuries have devastated Conte’s squad, with Napoli visiting the capital without Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Billy Gilmour, Miguel Gutierrez, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, and Alex Meret. Noa Lang and David Neres have emerged as Napoli’s new attacking cornerstones amid this injury crisis, with both expected to start tonight.

Roma vs Napoli Potential Starting Lineups

Roma (3-4-2-1): Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Celik, Cristante, Kone, Wesley; Soule, Pellegrini; Dybala.

Napoli (3-4-3): Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Rrahmani, Buongiorno; Di Lorenzo, Lobotka, McTominay, Olivera; Neres, Lang; Hojlund.

Roma vs Napoli Prediction

Given Roma’s notable defensive improvement under Gasperini and Napoli’s scoring woes on the road, a low-scoring contest could be in store. The hosts have thrived in such an environment this term, with four of their nine league victories coming by a 1-0 scoreline. However, we expect a share of the spoils in this high-stakes encounter.