Prediction: Napoli vs Inter Milan

Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 11/8

Bookmaker: Olympusbet

Starting March with a high-stakes Scudetto showdown, Napoli and Inter Milan face off at Stadio Maradona on Saturday evening.

Inter seized the Serie A top spot last week as Napoli’s struggles continued, with Antonio Conte’s team now winless in four matches.

Napoli

Napoli’s winless run in February saw them relinquish their grip on first place, culminating in a damaging 2-1 loss to Como at Stadio Sinigaglia last weekend.

After drawing with Roma, Udinese, and Lazio, the Partenopei have taken just three points from a possible 12 at a pivotal stage of the season.

Antonio Conte will be eager to avoid an unwanted record, as no team under his management has ever gone five Serie A games without a win. Defeat would see Inter move four points clear with 11 matches remaining, while Atalanta BC remain in the title race as well.

Despite Conte’s relentless drive, Napoli’s thin squad has shown signs of strain following a lackluster winter transfer window, leaving them with a point to prove on Saturday.

The sides occupied the top two spots before November’s 1-1 draw at San Siro, but this time, Napoli will be trailing. They also seek to overturn a poor recent record against Inter, having won just one of their last 11 league meetings.

Team News

With limited options out wide, Antonio Conte has reverted to his favored 3-5-2 system—a setup he previously used to great effect at Inter—and Napoli are expected to line up in the same shape this weekend.

Conte’s gamble to rest Frank Anguissa against Como backfired; while the midfielder avoided a suspension-triggering booking, he later came on as a substitute and picked up an injury. As a result, he joins David Neres and Pasquale Mazzocchi on the sidelines.

Bournemouth loanee Philip Billing is set to step into Anguissa’s role, partnering Stanislav Lobotka and Scott McTominay in midfield.

In attack, Giacomo Raspadori is likely to pair up with Romelu Lukaku, who previously netted 57 goals in 97 Serie A appearances for Inter between 2019 and 2023.

Inter Milan

Inter have lost just once in their last five Serie A visits to Naples and will be eager to maintain that strong record as they defend their position at the top of the table.

The Italian champions enter Matchday 27 as league leaders for only the second time this season, the first since mid-September. However, with Atalanta facing Venezia earlier in the day, a win for Gian Piero Gasperini’s men would see them draw level on 57 points, keeping the title race wide open.

After a setback against Juventus in the Derby d’Italia, Inter responded with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Genoa, courtesy of a late goal from captain Lautaro Martinez. They then secured a place in the Coppa Italia semi-finals by dispatching Lazio, setting up a high-stakes derby clash with Milan.

Despite losing last month’s Supercoppa Italiana final to their city rivals, the Nerazzurri remain in contention for a potential treble, with a Champions League last-16 tie against Feyenoord also on the horizon. It could yet be a historic season for Simone Inzaghi’s men.

Team News

In the last six years, only Lautaro Martinez has recorded double-digit goal tallies in more separate Serie A seasons than Romelu Lukaku. However, ‘El Toro’ has found the net just once in six away appearances against Napoli, with that strike coming back in January 2020.

Martinez’s strike partner, Marcus Thuram, is now fully fit and should return to the starting lineup, while cup regulars Marko Arnautovic and Mehdi Taremi are set to drop back to the bench.

Inter will be without Matteo Darmian due to a thigh strain, adding to their wing-back absences alongside Carlos Augusto and Nicola Zalewski. Meanwhile, first-choice goalkeeper Yann Sommer remains sidelined for another two weeks.

In midfield, Hakan Calhanoglu—who converted a penalty in midweek against Lazio—has a strong track record against Napoli, scoring in two of his last three league meetings with the Partenopei, including this season’s reverse fixture and last year’s clash at the Maradona.

Conclusion

Not only do Napoli appear to be losing momentum – having arguably overachieved this season – but their recent record against Inter does not inspire confidence.

The Nerazzurri have also shown signs of inconsistency, yet they remain significantly more potent in attack, netting 17 more goals than their hosts so far and averaging over two per game on their travels.

Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 11/8

Bookmaker: Olympusbet