Napoli welcome Como to Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Sunday for an intriguing early-season Serie A encounter between two clubs harbouring significant ambitions for the 2026/27 campaign.
Massimiliano Allegri began his Napoli tenure with an assured victory over Genoa, while Cesc Fabregas and Como had to settle for a point against Udinese. Given the contrasting philosophies of the two coaches, this could develop into a fascinating tactical battle.
Napoli’s transition from Antonio Conte to Allegri began positively with a 2-0 victory away to Genoa and it was precisely the kind of controlled performance associated with the new Napoli head coach. The Partenopei remained disciplined, limited their opponents and eventually made their superior individual quality count.
Antonio Vergara found the net, while Kevin De Bruyne came off the bench to score, providing another reminder of the extraordinary technical quality Napoli possess in midfield. De Bruyne should now be pushing for a return to the starting lineup against Como.
Napoli have won six of their last 10 matches, averaging two goals per game during that period. More importantly, Allegri has inherited a squad capable of adapting to his pragmatic approach without sacrificing attacking quality.
Returning to the Maradona should only strengthen their position. Napoli will be expected to challenge for the Scudetto again, and dropping points in home fixtures such as this would represent a missed opportunity.
Como can no longer simply be regarded as ambitious outsiders after their remarkable fourth-place finish last season secured UEFA Champions League qualification, confirming the enormous progress made under Fabregas. Backed by significant investment, they have developed one of Serie A’s most technically adventurous teams.
Their new campaign began with a 1-1 draw away to Udinese. A point on the road is hardly a poor result, although the Voltaics will know they need greater efficiency in the final third. That has occasionally been their biggest weakness: attractive possession and intricate combinations do not always translate into enough clear chances or goals.
That problem becomes particularly relevant against an Allegri team as Napoli will have little concern about allowing Como periods of possession if they can keep the visitors away from dangerous areas. This fixture presents one of the weekend’s most interesting stylistic battles as Fabregas wants his team to control possession, construct attacks patiently and create overloads through intelligent movement. Allegri is generally far more comfortable allowing opponents to have harmless possession before exploiting mistakes.
Como cannot afford to become frustrated and force passes through Napoli’s defensive structure. Losing possession in midfield would create opportunities for the hosts to transition quickly through their technically gifted attackers. The hosts, meanwhile, will need to resist becoming too passive. Como demonstrated last season that they possess enough quality to punish established Serie A opponents when allowed to dictate matches.
Home advantage could prove decisive and Como’s away record also provides Napoli with encouragement. The visitors have conceded in six of their last 10 away matches, something Allegri’s attacking players will look to exploit.
Napoli’s own recent numbers are considerably stronger, with the Partenopei averaging two goals across their last 10 games. Interestingly, the broader head-to-head record is relatively balanced, with both teams recording one victory and three matches ending level across the referenced meetings. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how both sides could line up and what tactics they might employ on the day.
Team News & Tactics
SSC Napoli
Napoli do not have a completely clean bill of health heading into their first home league fixture of the season. Alessandro Buongiorno remains sidelined, meaning Massimiliano Allegri will again have to adjust his defensive options. The encouraging news is that Napoli came through their opening 2-0 victory over Genoa without any major new concerns.
Allegri should retain the 4-3-3 formation that worked effectively on the opening weekend. Alex Meret will continue between the posts, with captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo operating at right-back. Amir Rrahmani should anchor the centre of defence alongside Mathias Olivera, while the versatile Leonardo Spinazzola provides width and attacking support from left-back.
The midfield gives Napoli an excellent combination of physicality, control and attacking threat. Stanislav Lobotka will operate as the deepest of the three, dictating the tempo and providing the link between defence and attack. Scott McTominay should play to his left, where his ability to make late runs into the penalty area provides an additional scoring threat, while Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa offers power, ball-carrying ability and defensive protection on the opposite side.
Allegri’s front three should feature Matteo Politano from the right and Alisson Santos on the left. Both can stretch Como’s defensive structure before moving into more dangerous central positions. Rasmus Hojlund will lead the attack, using his pace and physical presence to occupy the centre-backs and attack space behind the defensive line. That front three also gives Napoli considerable potential on the counter if Como commit numbers forward.
The tactical emphasis should be on control rather than relentless pressure. Napoli can allow Como periods of possession before using Lobotka, McTominay and Anguissa to close central passing lanes and force Cesc Fabregas’s side into wider areas. Once possession is recovered, the hosts have enough pace to transition quickly through Politano and Santos, with Højlund providing the focal point.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Olivera, Spinazzola; Anguissa, Lobotka, McTominay; Politano, Hojlund, Santos
Como
Cesc Fabregas appears to have few major injury concerns ahead of the trip to Naples, leaving him with plenty of options for what is one of Como’s toughest early-season assignments. Nico Paz was not in the starting XI against Udinese last weekend, but he should be in contention to return here.
Como should line up in their familiar 4-2-3-1 formation, with Jean Butez continuing in goal. Yan Couto and Alex Valle should occupy the two full-back positions, with both encouraged to push forward when Como establish sustained possession. Trevoh Chalobah should pair up with Jacobo Ramon in central defence, giving the visitors a combination of physical strength and composure on the ball.
The midfield pairing of Maximo Perrone and Luis Milla will be fundamental to Fabregas’s approach. Perrone should operate as the more positionally disciplined midfielder, helping Como play through Napoli’s press, while Milla can advance into slightly higher areas and connect midfield with the attacking quartet.
Further forward, Nico Paz should operate centrally as the No.10 and will arguably be Como’s most important creative player. Martin Baturina can start from the right but drift inside to combine with Paz, while Jesus Rodriguez provides greater directness from the left. Their movement will be important in trying to pull Napoli’s midfield out of its compact shape.
Anastasios Douvikas should lead the line. The Greek striker scored 14 Serie A goals last season, making him one of the league’s most productive forwards, and his movement around the penalty area will pose a significant test for Napoli’s reshuffled defence.
Como are unlikely to abandon their principles simply because they are playing away to Napoli. Fabregas will want his side to build patiently from the back, create midfield overloads and use Paz between the lines. However, their biggest challenge will be avoiding unnecessary turnovers. Against an Allegri side prepared to defend compactly and counter quickly, losing possession while Couto and Valle are advanced could leave substantial space for Napoli to exploit.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Butez; Couto, Chalobah, Ramon, Valle; Perrone, Milla; Baturina, Paz, Rodríguez; Douvikas
Key Stats
- Napoli began their Serie A campaign with a 2-0 victory over Genoa, with Kevin De Bruyne and Antonio Vergara scoring the decisive late goals.
- Como finished fourth in Serie A last season, securing European football after an impressive campaign under Cesc Fabregas.
- Como went unbeaten against Napoli in Serie A last season, holding them to two 0-0 draws across their two league meetings.
- Napoli have failed to beat Como in their last four meetings across all competitions, with Como also eliminating them on penalties from the Coppa Italia last season.
- Three of the last four Serie A meetings between Napoli and Como have produced two goals or fewer, including both goalless draws during the 2025-26 campaign.
Player to Watch
Nico Paz
Operating primarily as the No.10, the Argentine attacking midfielder is the player most capable of disrupting Napoli’s compact defensive structure with his movement, close control and ability to find passes between the lines.
His positioning could be particularly important against Stanislav Lobotka and Napoli’s midfield three. Paz will look to drift away from his marker, receive on the half-turn and combine quickly with Martin Baturina and Jesus Rodriguez before supplying Anastasios Douvikas.
The former Real Madrid youngster has developed into one of the central figures in Cesc Fàbregas’s possession-based system, offering both creativity and a genuine goal threat from midfield. Against an Allegri side that is unlikely to concede many clear opportunities, Como may need an individual capable of producing something unexpected. If Como are to leave Stadio Diego Armando Maradona with a positive result, Paz’s ability to create in congested central areas could be decisive.
Prediction
SSC Napoli 1-0 Como
Como’s fourth-place finish last season means Napoli cannot underestimate them. Cesc Fabregas has built a technically sophisticated team capable of controlling possession for long periods, and the visitors should make this far more difficult than a conventional home fixture against an outsider.
However, this matchup may suit Allegri as Napoli do not need to dominate possession to control the contest. They can remain compact, force Como into increasingly complicated attacking combinations and wait for opportunities to emerge.
Kevin De Bruyne’s expected return to the starting XI also gives the hosts another player capable of deciding a tight match with one pass or finish. Chances may be relatively limited, but Napoli’s superior efficiency and home advantage should eventually make the difference.