AS Roma will welcome SSC Napoli in this weekend’s standout Serie A clash on Sunday night.
Serie A serves up one of its most storied southern rivalries on Sunday night, as early-season pacesetters AS Roma welcome defending champions SSC Napoli to Stadio Olimpico. With both teams fresh from positive European results and firmly entrenched in the Scudetto conversation, the first Derby del Sole of the campaign arrives with serious weight.
Roma’s unexpected ascent to the summit has been one of the defining storylines of the season. After 12 rounds, the Giallorossi were sitting alone at the top of the table for the first time in more than ten years, two points clear of Napoli and AC Milan. Their most recent domestic outing, a composed 3-1 win over Cremonese, featured yet another influential performance from midfield creator Matias Soule, whose form has been crucial to Roma’s resurgence.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s side carried that momentum into Europe on Thursday, battling to a 2-1 victory over Midtjylland to keep themselves firmly in contention for a top-eight Europa League finish. AS Roma’s season has been characterised by game control and defensive assurance: they have opened the scoring in eight of their nine Serie A victories, and with just six goals conceded, they are enjoying their strongest defensive record at this stage since 2013. No Serie A team has fared better after 12 matchdays since Napoli’s title-winning defensive run in 2021/22.
Despite their impressive numbers, Roma enter the derby knowing that this fixture has not always been kind to them. They have won just two of the last nine league meetings at the Olimpico, and across home and away fixtures, Napoli have lost only once to Roma in their last 11 Serie A encounters, that solitary defeat coming in December 2023.
Napoli, however, are arriving in Rome at a time when flickers of revival have begun to appear. Antonio Conte’s side, previously weighed down by inconsistency and tactical imbalance, seem to have benefited from tweaks in system and personnel. Their 3-1 win over Atalanta last weekend was one of their most convincing displays of the season, with David Neres producing a decisive brace.
That was followed by a comfortable 2-0 UEFA Champions League triumph over Qarabag, a match in which Napoli’s dominance was so pronounced that a missed penalty from Rasmus Hojlund barely mattered. Still, the shadow of Napoli’s away form looms large.
Conte’s men have suffered defeat in three of their last four away league matches and five of their last six overall. Defensive frailties and a lack of ruthlessness on the road remain a concern, and notably, their last Serie A goal from open play away from home dates back to Hojlund’s strike in September against Fiorentina.
As both clubs step into a match carrying genuine title implications, the stakes are enormous. Roma want to protect their place at the summit; Napoli want to prove their resurgence is real. The stage is set for a fierce, tactical, high-pressure Derby del Sole in the capital. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how the clubs could line up on the night and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
AS Roma
AS Roma’s preparations for the Derby del Sole come with both optimism and fresh concern. The club received a major boost on Thursday when Paulo Dybala and Leon Bailey both returned from injury in the European win over Midtjylland.
However, that positive news has been tempered by doubts surrounding midfield duo Neil El Aynaoui and Manu Kone, each of whom suffered sprains in recent days. El Aynaoui is managing a knee issue, while Kone is dealing with an ankle problem, and both face late fitness tests ahead of Sunday’s showdown.
AS Roma are already without left-sided defender Angelino, who remains sidelined, and striker Artem Dovbyk, whose ongoing injury rules him out of contention. Their absences leave Gian Piero Gasperini with limited flexibility in certain areas, particularly in attack.
In Dovbyk’s absence, the responsibility of leading the line will fall to either Paulo Dybala or Evan Ferguson. The latter finally snapped a long-running goal drought last week and is pushing hard for a starting place, while the former’s creativity and understanding with Lorenzo Pellegrini make him equally viable as the focal point of a fluid front line.
Roma are expected to continue in their now-familiar 3-4-2-1 structure. In this setup, Mile Svilar starts in goal, protected by a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan Ndicka, and Mario Hermoso, who provide both solidity and ball progression. On the wings, Zeki Celik operates as a right wing-back, with Wesley offering energy and width on the opposite flank.
In central midfield, Bryan Cristante anchors the team and balances transitions, partnered, fitness permitting, by Manu Kone, whose dynamism helps carry AS Roma forward. Ahead of them, Matias Soule and Lorenzo Pellegrini act as dual playmakers, drifting between lines to link midfield to attack and support the lone striker, likely Paulo Dybala.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Celik, Cristante, Kone, Wesley; Soule, Pellegrini; Dybala
SSC Napoli
Napoli arrive in the capital carrying several significant absences that continue to shape Antonio Conte’s team selections. Midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, both level with Matias Soule on four Serie A goals, remain sidelined with long-term muscle issues. Their absence removes two of Napoli’s most reliable ball carriers and chance creators.
The injury list deepens further with Billy Gilmour, who is set to undergo groin surgery and will miss several weeks of action. Defender Miguel Gutierrez is also unavailable due to a persistent muscle problem, while striker Romelu Lukaku continues his recovery from a calf injury that has prevented him from contributing to the attack in recent weeks. First-choice goalkeeper Alex Meret is ruled out as well due to a back issue.
There is, however, cautious optimism regarding Leonardo Spinazzola. The former AS Roma wide man has been working steadily back toward full fitness and could be available for selection against his old club, though he is unlikely to start given his limited recent involvement.
Despite the depleted squad, Antonio Conte is expected to continue with his recently adopted 3-4-2-1 system, a structure that has brought Napoli renewed balance and clarity over the past two games. In this shape, Vanja Milinkovic-Savic starts in goal, supported by a physically imposing back three of Sam Beukema, Amir Rrahmani, and Alessandro Buongiorno, each of whom provides both aerial dominance and strong defensive positioning.
On the flanks, club captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo operates as the right wing-back, while Mathias Olivera continues on the left, tasked with covering the entire side of the pitch in both directions. The midfield pivot consists of Stanislav Lobotka, who remains the team’s metronome in possession, paired with Scott McTominay, whose surging runs and late-box arrivals have added a goal threat Napoli had lacked earlier in the campaign.
Ahead of them, David Neres and Noa Lang will occupy the hybrid roles behind the striker, drifting inward to support attacks while also pressing Roma’s build-up. Leading the line will once again be Rasmus Hojlund, who has cemented his place as Conte’s preferred centre-forward, while newcomer Lorenzo Lucca continues to adapt after his summer move from Udinese.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Rrahmani, Buongiorno; Di Lorenzo, Lobotka, McTominay, Olivera; Neres, Lang; Højlund
Key Stats
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Napoli have suffered three defeats in their last four away matches in Serie A, a stark contrast to their strong home form under Antonio Conte. Even more telling, they have failed to score an open-play away goal since September.
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AS Roma boast the best defensive record in the league after 12 matchdays, conceding only six goals, their fewest at this stage since 2013. Only two teams in the last decade have reached this point with a stronger defensive return, one of them being Napoli during their 2021/22 title push.
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The Giallorossi have scored first in eight of their nine Serie A victories this season.
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Napoli have lost only one of their last 11 league meetings with AS Roma. Their sole defeat in that stretch came in December 2023.
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AS Roma remain perfect at home in all competitions since September, with a run of clean sheets in five of their last six at Stadio Olimpico. By contrast, Napoli have conceded at least two goals in four of their last five away games.
Player to Watch
Paulo Dybala
In a fixture defined by fine margins and individual inspiration, Paulo Dybala stands out as Roma’s most decisive weapon. The Argentine forward has steadily rebuilt rhythm after his latest injury setback, and his return could not be better timed for Gasperini. Even when not at peak sharpness, Dybala’s ability to bend matches to his will remains unmatched within the Giallorossi squad.
Whether deployed as a roaming striker or as a creative force just behind the front line, Dybala thrives in games where intelligence trumps chaos. His movement between the lines has the power to disrupt Napoli’s three-man defensive structure, dragging centre-backs into uncomfortable positions and opening lanes for the likes of Matias Soule and Lorenzo Pellegrini to exploit.
Dybala’s combination play and trademark left-footed deliveries also provide AS Roma with a cutting edge on set pieces, an area where they have been particularly efficient this season. With Napoli missing several midfielders and struggling for stability away from home, Dybala’s ability to dictate tempo and unlock tight spaces could prove the defining factor.
If AS Roma are to consolidate their position at the top of the table and keep their Scudetto push on track, it is difficult to envision a scenario where Paulo Dybala does not play a central role. This is precisely the kind of match in which his big-game pedigree tends to shine.
Prediction
AS Roma 2-1 SSC Napoli
AS Roma enter this Derby del Sole with greater cohesion, sharper form and a defensive structure that has proved exceptionally difficult to break down. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side have turned Stadio Olimpico into a fortress, and the return of Paulo Dybala only amplifies their attacking creativity in the final third. Their ability to strike early and then manage games with maturity gives them a psychological advantage as well as a tactical one.
Napoli, meanwhile, may have rediscovered some attacking fluency in recent weeks, but their away record tells a far more troubling story. Antonio Conte’s men remain inconsistent on their travels, leaking goals at key moments and struggling to generate sustained pressure in open play. Their lengthy injury list further limits rotation and weakens their midfield depth, never ideal against a Roma side running hot.
While Napoli have dominated this fixture in recent years, the current momentum lies firmly with the Giallorossi. Roma look more balanced, more confident, and better suited to exploiting Napoli’s defensive vulnerabilities, especially out wide.
