Serie A 2022-23: Napoli vs Inter Milan: Predicted lineup, injury news, head-to-head, telecast

Two teams with an exceptional season meet in Serie A as Champions of Italy host the Champions League Finalists in Naples

Napoli played an excellent season and won their third Scudetto in the club's history. They waited more than 30 years for it, so this season has to be considered as successful. Since confirming their status as the Champions, Napoli has collected only 12 points in Serie A in the eight matches played since the beginning of April (W3 D3 L2).

Six teams performed better in that period, including Inter, who obtained the most points (16) which can also be due to the squad rotation and giving their Team – B a taste of league football. Napoli has won the most Serie A matches this season against opponents currently in the top seven positions in the standings, with eight wins out of 11 matches (L3) which shows their dominance at the top.

Inter are playing the best football in years where they have won their last five league matches by an aggregate score of 18-3. The last time they achieved more consecutive victories in a Serie A season was in January 2022 when they won eight matches in a row.

In the Champions League, Inter just eliminated AC Milan in the Champions League Semi-Finals and will meet with Manchester City in the finals. They will also play against Fiorentina in the Coppa de Italia so they can win two trophies this season. Still, in Serie A, they are in 3rd place with 66 points in 35 matches, and their only goal is to stay among the top four teams.

Napoli have lost only one of their last 16 home matches against Inter in Serie A (W9 D6) - a 3-1 defeat in January 2020 (Romelu Lukaku scored a brace + a Lautaro Martinez goal). However, the two most recent home matches between the two teams in the competition have ended in a 1-1 draw, and they have never had more consecutive draws at home against Inter.

The blue side of Milan has scored the most goals from open play in Serie A this season (49), while the Azzurri have scored the most goals from set-pieces (25) so it will be an interesting match-up despite the fact both the teams will be experimenting by rotating the squad.

Kick-off

Sunday, 21-05-2023, 12:00 pm (ET)

Sunday, 21-05-2023, 09:30 pm (IST)

Stadium: Stadio Diego Armando Maradona

Napoli Form (In All Competitions): L- W- D- D- W

Inter Milan Form (In All Competitions): W- W- W- W- W

Players to watch

Inter Milan: Lautaro Martinez

The World Cup winner scored four goals in Serie A against Napoli; since his debut season with Inter in 2018/19, only Ciro Immobile (six) has scored more against Napoli (Kevin Lasagna also has four goals). The Argentine striker is also close to matching his record for goals in a single league season (21 in 2021/22).

Coming from his red-hot form in the Champions League it is very likely he could be the name on the scoresheet again.

Napoli: Victor Osimhen

The Nigerian has already scored 23 goals this season, and only three players have scored more goals with Napoli in a single Serie A season in the history of the league: Edinson Cavani (26 in 2010/11 and 29 in 2012/13), Gonzalo Higuaín (36 in 2015/16), and Dries Mertens (28 in 2016/17).

However, Inter are the team that the Nigerian striker has faced the most in the competition (four matches) without scoring a goal so he will be looking to open the scoring against them.

Match Facts for Napoli vs Inter Milan

• If Napoli win against Inter, they could beat 19 different opponents in a single season for the first time in their Serie A history (currently at 18, same as they managed in 2015/16 and 2018/19).
• Inter won the reverse game against Napoli 1-0 and could become just the third team in the last 40 Serie A seasons to win both matches against the champions, following Sampdoria in 2012/13 and Torino in 1994/95 against Juventus.
• Inter have won six of their last nine league matches against Napoli (D2 L1) after having only one victory in the previous 11 (D5 L5).

Injury and Team News for Napoli vs Inter Milan

Napoli: Injury: Mario Rui (Fibula fracture) and Hirving Lozano is sidelined to his knee injury.

Inter Milan: Injury: Milan Skriniar (Lumbar Vertebra Fracture) and Mkhitaryan (Hamstring) both are sidelined for upcoming fixture.

Head to Head stats

Matches – 20

Napoli – 06

Inter Milan – 08

Draws – 06

Predicted Lineups for Napoli vs Inter Milan

SSC Napoli Predicted Lineup (4-3-3)

A. Meret, L. Ostigard, Kim Min-Jae, A. Rrahmani, G. Di Lorenzo, P. Zieliński, S. Lobotka, K. Kvaratskhelia, Victor Osimhen, E. Elmas, G. Simeone

Inter Milan Predicted Lineup (3-5-2)

S Handanović, D'Abmrosio, De Vrij, A. Bastoni, Bellanova, Gagliardini, M. Brozović, K Asllani, R. Gosens, Lukaku, J Correa

Match Prediction for Napoli vs Inter Milan

Napoli are not even close to their level from the start or middle of the season. They won just two games in the last eight matches in all competitions and scored only five goals in those eight matches which could be due to start players given rest after securing the title.

The visitors won eight in a row and kept a clean sheet in six of those eight matches! Since they are great defensively, we have seen just one game with more than three goals in the previous four matches and this match could see some exciting football. The goals might be hard to come by since both teams were involved in 02 stalemates in their previous 02 fixtures.

Prediction: Napoli 1 – 2 Inter Milan

Telecast

India – Sony LIV

USA – Paramount+, CBS, TUDN

United Kingdom: BT Sport

Nigeria – Supersport, StarTimes, Canal+