Napoli Vs Inter Milan: A Giant Duel Of Determinant Direction Of The Scudetto In San Paolo

Napoli are increasingly defending their title (photo: x @en_sscnapoli)

JAKARTA - This weekend's Serie A big battle will bring together Italy's two main powers last season. Defending champions Napoli host Inter Milan at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, Saturday, October 25 evening local time, in a match that could determine the direction of the Scudetto race this season.

Both of them collected 15 points, but came with a different fate in European competitions. Napoli had just been hit by a storm in Eindhoven, while Inter sped smoothly in Brussels.

Since the last international break, Napoli began to lose momentum. After winning by 'lucky' in several matches, Antonio Conte's team now seems to run out of gas. Last weekend's 0-1 defeat to Torino was immediately followed by an embarrassing 2-6 defeat to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.

In fact, Napoli had taken the lead through Scott McTominay, before four goals in the second half made them fall. Lorenzo Lucca was even sent off by the referee after a ridiculous red card, exacerbating the team's atmosphere.

Conte is clearly angry. In the last three Serie A matches, Napoli lost twice to the same number of defeats as in the previous 31 matches. However, the former Inter coach can still rely on a solid home record: unbeaten in 15 Serie A matches at the Maradona Stadium since December last year, with 12 of them.

Interestingly, the last three meetings of Napoli vs Inter in Serie A all ended 1-1. Conte knows that this match is not just a point fight, but also a place to prove himself against the club he used to bring to become Italy's main strength.

Inter Milan: Unstoppable Goal Machine

Meanwhile, Inter Milan under the tutelage of Cristian Chivu are dancing in the wind. They came to Naples with seven straight wins in all competitions.

After Juventus' defeat to Derby d'Italy last month, Inter were untouched again. They even won 4-0 over Union Saint-Gilcoise in the Champions League midweek victory that confirmed their efficiency in Europe.

Inter currently have the sharpest attack in Serie A with 18 goals from seven games, and nine different players have contributed goals. Bonny's injured replacement Marcus Thuram is stealing attention with his explosive performance.

In addition, Inter's backline was tough. They recorded four clean sheets from the last five away games, with the only stain coming from a dramatic 3-4 defeat against Juventus.

Chivu will now face Conte in a generation duel: the young legend against the tactician. Although Conte's experience is much more capable, Inter's performance so far has made them come with high confidence.

Napoli is still overshadowed by a storm of injuries. Romelu Lukaku is absent due to thigh problems, followed by Rasmus H wayjlund who is also a muscle injury. Conte hopes Höjlund can recover on time, but if not, Lorenzo Lucca even though he has just received a red card in Europe is likely to start again.

Matteo Politano, who once defended Inter, will be a major threat from the wing. In midfield, Billy Gilmour may be back as a replacement for Stanislav Lobotka who is still injured. Amir Rrahmani has also not been able to play in the back lines.

While in the Inter camp, Marcus Thuram is still sidelined due to a hamstring injury. Piotr Zielinski, who recently moved from Napoli, is likely just sitting on the bench against his former club.

Bonny has the opportunity to be trusted again in a duet with Lautaro MartENTez, who has scored five goals against Napoli throughout his career. Another alternative, Francesco Pio Esposito, the young Italian star who has just scored in Serie A and the Champions League.

Napoli are indeed shaky, while Inter are burning. But playing in Naples is not an easy matter for anyone even for a team as strong as Inter. Conte certainly doesn't want to record three consecutive defeats, and Napoli has enough power to contain the Nerazzurri this time.

This match may not be a goal party, but it could be a strategic duel for two coaches who are both stubborn and that's what keeps Serie A classical: beautiful, full of tension, and unpredictable.

Estimates of the line-up:Napoli (4-2-3-1): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Beukema, Buongiorno, Spinazzola; Gilmour; Politano, Anguissa, De Bruyne, McTominay; Lucca.Inter Milan (3-5-2): Sommer; Akanji, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Bonny, Martinez.

Score Prediction

Napoli 1-1 Inter Milan