Soccer Italy Serie A Prediction

Napoli vs Inter - Match Preview

⚽ 21 May 2023 - 16:00 GMT +0

This might be a clash between two of Serie A’s (SA) top three coming into the round, but it very much has the feel of a dead-rubber contest for Napoli with the title already wrapped up. Despite already being crowned champions, Napoli has a chance to make a bit of history here as the irrepressible Azzurri could beat 19 different SA opponents in a single season for the first time in their history!

Overshadowing the end of the season for Napoli is the speculation surrounding the future of manager Luciano Spalletti, with multiple reports suggesting he’s rejected terms on a new deal. While that saga is likely to rumble on, Napoli fans will head to Diego Armando Maradona Stadium hoping that off-field drama doesn’t prevent their side from extending a proud H2H record of just one defeat in 16 home league meetings (W9, D6).

Inter Milan ought to be riding the crest of a wave after securing a place in the Champions League final for the first time in 13 years thanks to their two-legged success over city rivals AC Milan. While that final is likely to take the bulk of their attention, there’s still the small matter of wrapping up a top-four SA finish to contend with. Sitting in third with a cushy five-point gap to fifth ahead of the round, Simone Inzaghi’s side will want to continue their fine league form of five-straight wins to keep the chasers at bay.

That’s the visitors' longest run of consecutive SA wins in a single season since registering eight back in January of last year, and while they could match that streak if they win their remaining games of this campaign, their three defeats against fellow current top-five SA sides on the road this term highlights how that’s likely to be a tough feat to achieve.

📋 Players to watch: Despite topping the SA scoring charts, Victor Osimhen (G23) has faced Inter more often than any other side (four times) without scoring. Inter’s Lautaro Martinez is his closest challenger for the golden boot and he boasts four goals in SA against Napoli.

⚡ Hot stat: Inter could become just the third team in the last 40 SA campaigns to win both matches against the league champions.