Just one week after putting real distance between themselves and Juventus, Napoli have the chance to widen the gap with Inter as they host the Nerazzurri in what looks to be a firecracker of a match. Kick-off on Saturday at 20:45 CET.
After last week’s derby heroics, Inter travel south to face top of the table Napoli. While Napoli are riding high on top of the table by themselves, especially after beating Roma away last week, their midweek loss to Manchester City in the Champions League may have both a mental and physical impact on the Partenopei’s disposition.
So confident is Luciano Spaletti of his players that he gave the entire squad two days rest after the memorable victory agaisnt city rivals Milan last Sunday. This is in stark contrast to Napoli’s midweek which entailed a trip to gloomy Manchester where the Partenopei faced Pep Guardiola’s effervescent Manchester City. While all the rhetoric from the Napoli organization pre-match seemed to indicate that they had resigned themselves to returning from England empty-handed, it is still difficult imagine that such a loss will not have some impact on the squad, no matter how mentally resilient. Add the potential loss of star Lorenzo Insigne to injury and one can forgive Napoli for not facing the visitors in the highest of spirits.
Inter, on the other hand, will enter the game in the best of spirits. The Nerazzurri go into the tenth matchday exceeding the most optimistic of expectations and will look at this game as a “nothing to lose” type of affair. Yet despite all things looking peachy-keen in the Inter camp, one must not forget that there are plenty of deficiencies to address in Inter’s approach to matches. The squad is still susceptible to a 40-65 minute mental shutdown which was amply clear against Milan. Inter’s left-back position remains more than a pain in the rear for Spaletti and the Nerazzurri faithful and unless Yuto Nagatomo or Dalbert play a perfect match, expect to Napoli to target Inter’s flank through Callejon’s marauding runs.
While Joao Mario’s potential return to the squad will be a welcome sign for Spaletti, expect the midfield trio of Roberto Gagliardini, Matias Vecino and Borja Valero to start the match, giving the team more of a backbone than if the Portuguese international were to start. Mario will most likely be introduced in the second half as an antidote for either Gagliardini or Valero’s limited gas tank.
The league schedule has so far been kind to Inter, and now they face Napoli in the best of circumstances; riding high on a derby win and with a full week’s rest, will this be enough to break the San Paolo hoodoo?
Team News
It seems unlikely that Marcelo Brozovic will be fit for selection, but Spaletti will look forward to welcoming back Joao Mario after he missed last week’s derby due to tonsillitis.
Probable Inter line-up (subject to change): (4-2-3-1) Handanovic; Dalbert, Miranda, Skriniar, D’Ambrosio; Gagliardini, Vecino; Perisic, Valero, Candreva; Icardi (C)
Stats
Last Season: Napoli 3 – 0 Inter
Last 10 Head to Head: Napoli have had far more impressive results in the two sides’ previous ten encounters, they have five wins to Inter’s two. Even more damning for the Nerazzurri is the fact that they haven’t beaten Napoli in Naples in a league encounter since October 1997.
Keep an Eye on
Mauro Icardi: There has never been more of a man-of-the-moment than Mauro Icardi right now. The derby hero will have all eyes on him as he leads the Nerazzurri from the front. Napoli’s defense will be stuck to Maurito like glue having seen what the striker can do with an iota of a chance.
Officials
Refereree: tbc
Assistants: tbc
Fourth Official: tbc
Additional Assistants: tbc
Prediction & Authors Note
Prediction & scorers: Napoli 2 – Inter with Icardi getting the consolation goal.
Author’s Note: Nobody really expects Inter to go and get all three points from Naples, what will be more important is the manner in which Inter face the hosts and then eventually how they will take the result (win, lose or draw) into the subsequent midweek game against Sampdoria.
