Napoli will take on UEFA Champions League finalists Inter Milan in the standout clash this weekend in the Italian top flight.
Champions Napoli will welcome Inter Milan in what should be an exciting tie at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples on Sunday night.
Both teams have enjoyed excellent seasons, but only the visitors still have something to play for. The Nerazzurri hold the edge over arch-rivals AC Milan in the race for a top-four spot. With just three games left to be played, Simone Inzaghi’s men cannot afford to let their advantage slip.
Napoli have lost a bit of their fizz in recent weeks and do not look like the all-conquering force that waltzed their way to the Scudetto. In Inter, they face arguably the most in-form Italian side since April.
A win on the night should more or less guarantee Inter finishing in the top four, securing Champions League football for next season. Perhaps more importantly, victory will continue the momentum they have been building of late as we draw closer to Istanbul.
With a Coppa Italia final and the Champions League final to look forward to, Inter will have their sights elsewhere on Sunday. They defeated Napoli in the reverse fixture and now face a Gli Azzurri side that is still suffering from the title hangover. On paper, Inter should go into the game fancying their chances.
With nothing left to play for, Napoli can be excused if they take their foot off the gear. However, the home fans will be buzzing and Luciano Spelletti will want to get one over his former side. The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on the night and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
SSC Napoli
💬 Spalletti: "I want to congratulate @Inter_en, @ASRomaEN and @ACFFiorentinaEN on their excellent results, which benefit the Italian game as a whole"#NapoliInter pic.twitter.com/Ofk0vmPtxR
— Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) May 20, 2023
Having won the title, Luciano Spalletti rotated his squad against both Monza and Fiorentina. He is expected to revert to a full-strength side on the night against his former side.
Hirving Lozano is the home side’s lone absentee as the Mexican continues to recover from injury. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia also picked up a knock in training but should be in contention to feature on the night.
Spalletti has an otherwise fully fit squad to choose from. He has little reason to deviate from the free-flowing 4-3-3 formation and should adopt it for the game. First-choice goalkeeper Alex Meret is expected to return to the starting eleven, with a back four of Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Kim Min-jae, Amir Rrahmani, and Mathias Olivera lining up in front of him.
Stanislav Lobotka should hold the fort in central midfield, with Piotr Zielinski and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa flanking him in the middle of the park. With Lozano out, Giacomo Raspadori should occupy the flank, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia providing the width on the right. Victor Osminhen will lead the line and will be keen to end his scoring duck for Napoli vs Inter Milan.
The Nigerian has failed to score in four previous appearances against Inter and is only three goals ahead of Nerazzurri ace Lautaro Martinez in the race for the Golden Boot. With the latter rediscovering his goal-scoring touch, Osimhen will be motivated to dictate the game on the night.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Kim, Rrahmani, Olivera; Anguissa, Lobotka, Zielinski; Kvaratskhelia, Osimhen, Raspadori
Inter Milan
With the Coppa Italia final just three days later, Simone Inzaghi is likely to rotate his squad, in particular, his frontline for the trip to Naples. The Inter Milan boss is blessed to have four players who are all in good form and can lead the line with aplomb. The Nerazzurri attackers all appear to be clicking into top gear just as the business end of the season approaches.
Milan Skriniar continues to be out of action, while Henrikh Mkhitaryan is also ruled out of the game. Inter have an otherwise fully-fit squad to choose from. While players are set to be rotated, one constant, you can expect out of Inzaghi is his 3-5-2 formation.
Andre Onana is likely to make way for Samir Handanovic in goal as the last line of defence, behind the back three of Danilo D’Ambrosio, Francesco Acerbi, and Alessandro Bastoni. Denzel Dumfries will start out wide on the right wing, with Federico Dimarco occupying the opposite flank.
– 2️⃣ a #NapoliInter 🏃#ForzaInter
— Inter (@Inter) May 19, 2023
Marcelo Brozovic should hold the fort in central midfield, with Hakan Calhanoglu and Nicolo Barella flanking him in central midfield. Romelu Lukaku scored twice when Inter last defeated Napoli in Naples, back in 2020.
The Belgian will hope to make a similar impact on the night, with spots in two major finals up for grabs. Joaquin Correa picked up a knock last weekend but is expected to start on the night. The match also provides fringe players an opportunity to stake their claim for a spot in either final.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Handanovic; D’Ambrosio, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Calhanoglu, Dimarco; Correa, Lukaku
Key Stats
- Napoli have beaten Inter Milan just once in their last nine Serie A meetings. They have lost six matches while drawing the remaining two.
- Napoli have lost just one of their last 16 home games in Serie A against Inter Milan.
- The last two games between these sides in Serie A in Naples have ended with a scoreline of 1-1. A stalemate on Sunday will see Napoli draw three consecutive home games against Inter at home for the first time ever.
- Napoli have won seven of their 11 games against teams in the Serie A top seven this season, more than any other team.
- Inter Milan are on a five-game winning streak in Serie A. This is their longest winning run in the competition since January 2022, when they won eight games.
Player to Watch
Romelu Lukaku
The Belgian international is a different beat when full of confidence and has increasingly been a reliable forward in recent weeks. Lukaku also starred the last time Inter defeated Napoli at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in 2020, something the visitors will be keen to repeat.
Lukaku’s ability to run into channels and hold the ball up will also bring Correa and Barella into play. With Napoli far from their best, the time is now for Lukaku to make his case. He is likely to return to Chelsea in the summer and will hope to leave with a bang in arguably his final few games for the Nerazzurri.
Prediction
SSC Napoli 1-2 Inter Milan
Napoli may have the home advantage, but it is debatable if they have recovered from their post-title hangover. Inter, for their part, are keen to keep building momentum with several players also eager to claim a starting XI spot for either final. Motivation should be high in the Nerazzurri camp and this should see them complete the double over Napoli.
