The top two teams in the Italian league face off in a crucial match as Juventus look to close the gap on league leaders Napoli
The two sides currently occupy the top two positions in the Serie A table entering the weekend’s action.
Napoli, who remain top of the standings, returned to winning ways by beating Sampdoria comfortably last weekend. It was the sort of dominant performance they needed after a sub-par display at San Siro against Inter Milan in their first match after the World Cup break.
Inter restricted the Partenopei to very little in a 1-0 defeat that seemingly blew the title race back open again. However, after a weekend of very favourable results which saw AC Milan, Inter and Lazio all concede stoppage time equalisers, Napoli have extended their lead at the top to seven points. This Napoli side are the perfect embodiment of the modern Serie A, as they are arguably the most free-flowing side in Europe’s top five leagues.
On the other hand, Juventus are charging, after such a woeful start which saw their home support turn their backs on the side, they now find themselves second. A remarkable run of eight consecutive wins without conceding a single goal has seen them surge up the standings. This is the first time they have won eight on the spin since 2018, back when Massimiliano Allegri was last in charge, on their way to winning an eighth straight Scudetto.
This match will be a fascinating test of Napoli’s title credentials though, as they failed at Inter just over a week ago and now have Juventus and Roma to come at home in the next fortnight.
The seven-point gap looks healthy, but Maurizio Sarri’s Napoli faltered with Juve in strong pursuit both in 2015-16 and 2017-18, so current boss Luciano Spalletti’s biggest test is still to come.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Napoli possible starting lineup:
Meret; Di Lorenzo, Kim Min-jae, Rrahmani, Olivera; Zambo Anguissa, Lobotka, Zielinski; Politano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia
Juventus possible starting lineup:
Szczesny; Danilo, Rugani, Gatti; McKennie, Rabiot, Locatelli, Miretti, Kostic; Di Maria, Milik
