Serie A Preview: Napoli vs Roma – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction

Sunday’s Serie A spotlight shifts to Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, where Napoli and Roma go head-to-head in the latest edition of the famous Derby del Sole. Despite a whopping 13 points separating the sides ahead of the kick-off, everything’s possible where bragging rights are at stake.

Napoli head into the newest chapter of this storied rivalry as Serie A pacesetters despite a noticeable dip in form before November’s international break. Antonio Conte’s men sit at the top of the pile, albeit only two points clear of sixth-placed Juventus, hence the importance of returning to winning ways after back-to-back winless outings.

Atalanta left Naples in ruins last time out as Ademola Lookman’s brace inspired La Dea to a remarkable 3-0 triumph at the expense of Conte’s second defeat in charge of Napoli. The Partenopei held reigning Scudetto holders Inter to a controversial 1-1 draw in the follow-up, though their performance at Giuseppe Meazza flattered to deceive.

In contrast to Napoli’s resurgence under Conte, Roma cannot catch a break this season. The club’s notorious decision to sack club icon Daniele De Rossi in mid-September was supposed to be part of the solution, only for the turmoil to deepen as results have failed to improve under his successor.

Ivan Juric would last only briefly, with a 3-2 home defeat to Bologna just before the hiatus hammering the final nail in the Croatian manager’s coffin as Roma manager. Desperate times call for desperate measures. The Giallorossi made a bold decision during the break, bringing Claudio Ranieri out of retirement to help the team navigate troubled waters.

Match Preview

Napoli

Napoli must stem the bleeding to protect their position at the table’s summit. With four sides sitting a point adrift of the Partenopei, returning to the win column against Roma feels imperative. And there’s no better place to complete this mission than the Maradona Stadium, where Conte’s men have reigned supreme this season.

Before the abovementioned rout at the hands of Atalanta, Napoli had won all five previous home league games under the ex-Inter and Juventus manager via an aggregate score of 11-2. On top of that, the 2023 Serie A champions are on an imperious six-game unbeaten home league run against Roma (W3, D3) since their last loss in March 2018.

However, Conte must be desperate for more early urgency from his side after Napoli tallied only nine of their 19 league goals this season before the hour mark. Adept to a mighty finish at home, they’ve bagged six of their 11 top-flight goals here beyond the 70th minute, highlighting the potential for plenty of late drama.

Roma

Roma have frequently fallen victim to Napoli’s late surges, conceding seven goals beyond the 70-minute mark in their last seven trips to Naples. Any chance of reversing that dismal trend rests on Ranieri’s efforts to shore up the Giallorossi’s defense, which has been hemorrhaging goals at an alarming rate in recent matches.

Four defeats in their last five league matches have forced Roma to axe Juric, with the visitors experiencing their worst Serie A start since 2004/05. Indeed, they headed into the international break stranded in the lower reaches, only four points clear of the bottom three, perhaps best illustrating the depth of the crisis at the Stadio Olimpico.

The appointment of a wartime manager such as 73-year-old Ranieri could be the club’s last-ditch attempt to salvage this season. His third managerial stint in Rome could be his most challenging yet. However, fans are optimistic, probably safe in the knowledge only Luciano Spalletti (59%) and Rudi Garcia (57%) outperformed Ranieri’s 56% win ratio in charge of the Giallorossi.

Team News

Napoli avoided fresh injury setbacks during the international break. Moreover, Michael Folorunsho and Leonardo Spinazzola used the extra rest period to return to full fitness. The same goes for Stanislav Lobotka, who will likely dislodge Billy Gilmour from the starting XI.

As for Roma, Mario Hermoso and Eldor Shomurodov have joined Alexis Saelemaekers on the sidelines. Standout forward Paulo Dybala isn’t 100% fit and could surrender his place in the front third to Matias Soule, with top-scorer Artem Dovbyk set to lead the line.

Napoli vs Roma Potential Starting Line-ups

Napoli (4-2-3-1): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno, Olivera; Anguissa, Lobotka, McTominay; Politano, Lukaku, Kvaratskhelia

Roma (4-2-3-1): Svilar; Celik, Mancini, Ndicka, Angelino; Kone, Cristante; Soule, Pellegrini, El Shaarawy; Dovbyk.

Napoli vs Roma Prediction

Napoli’s recent downturn could offer Roma a much-needed boost, with the visitors desperate to benefit from a ‘new-manager bounce.’ Ranieri’s tactical acumen demands respect, while Conte’s zero tolerance for failure could soon backfire on the Partenopei.

Despite facing long odds, we back the Giallorossi to upset the apple cart and emerge victorious from Naples. It’s a long shot, but stranger things have happened in football.

Prediction: Roma to Win

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