Napoli will face Roma at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona for a Serie A match this Sunday.
Napoli enters the game following a 1-1 draw with Inter Milan in their last Serie A outing. They held 47% possession and registered five shots on goal, with two on target. Scott McTominay opened the scoring for Napoli in the 23rd minute, but Hakan Çalhanoğlu equalized for Inter in the 43rd minute.
In their last six matches, Napoli has scored eight goals and conceded five. However, they have not beaten Roma in their last two league meetings.
Roma aims to recover from a 3-2 defeat against Bologna. In that match, Roma had 54% possession and took 15 shots, with five on target.
Stephan El Shaarawy scored twice for Roma in the 63rd and 82nd minutes, while Bologna’s goals came from Santiago Castro, Riccardo Orsolini, and Jesper Karlsson.
Roma has been involved in high-scoring games recently, with 20 goals in their last six matches, averaging 3.33 goals per game.
However, their away form has been poor, with no wins in their last nine league games on the road. Additionally, Roma has not won at Napoli in their last six away league matches.
In their recent head-to-head encounters, Napoli has won two out of the last five games against Roma, with Roma winning one, and three matches ending in draws.
Their last league match in April 2024 ended in a 2-2 draw. Napoli had 48% possession and 27 shots, with goals from Mathías Olivera and Victor Osimhen. Roma’s goals came from Paulo Dybala and Tammy Abraham.
For this match, Napoli is expected to play in a 4-3-3 formation, with Alex Meret in goal, and a defense comprising Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani, Alessandro Buongiorno, and Mathías Olivera.
The midfield will likely feature Andre Zambo Anguissa, Scott McTominay, and Billy Gilmour, while the attack will include Matteo Politano, Romelu Lukaku, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Roma, under the management of Claudio Ranieri, will be without Eldor Shomurodov due to a groin injury and Alexis Saelemaekers following ankle surgery.
They are expected to line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Mile Svilar in goal and a defense consisting of Gianluca Mancini, Evan Ndicka, and Saud Abdulhamid. The midfield will likely include Manu Koné, Bryan Cristante, Zeki Celik, and Angeliño, with Matias Soule, Lorenzo Pellegrini, and Artem Dovbyk in attack.
Prediction
Napoli is expected to dominate possession and convert their chances into goals, while Roma may struggle to create many opportunities but could still score.
A comfortable 3-1 victory for Napoli is anticipated, with the total goals likely to be under 3.5.
