Serie A: Napoli and Inter in Scudetto Shootout

Napoli vs Inter Milan

Napoli host 2024 champions Inter Milan in the Serie A match of the weekend, as the top two battle it out for supremacy at the summit.

Simone Inzaghi’s Inter leapfrogged Antonio Conte’s Napoli last weekend as they beat Genoa 1-0, while I Partenopei fell to a shock 2-1 loss away to Como, and that defeat made it four games without a win for the 2023 champions. The latest Serie A 2025 betting odds make I Nerazzurri the odds-on favourites for the 2025 Scudetto with Napoli not far behind at SBOTOP odds of 2.50, so this six-pointer is as big as it gets in the race for the title.

The hosts have had a week to prepare for this mega-clash, while Inter were in Coppa Italia action on Tuesday, beating Lazio 2-0 with goals from Marko Arnautovic and Hakan Calhanoglu. And now back to league action, both managers have selection questions to answer. They’ll keep their thoughts to themselves until an hour before kick-off, so let’s take a closer look at the two squads.  

 

Talking Points

Napoli’s midfield dilemma  

A loss to Como last week was one of the big Serie A 2025 results of the season, and it remains to be seen just how damaging it was for Napoli’s title hopes. Former Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas has been doing a fine job as Como head coach, and his team is playing with confidence, sitting relatively comfortably in lower mid-table. But Napoli controlled the game for long periods and had more shots.

Conte said after the game: “We’ve been playing since the beginning of the year with pressure, which fortunately we brought on ourselves.”

Sure, I Partenopei have been top of the league for some time and are there to be shot down, but now is the time to assert their authority and the midfield battle on Saturday will be crucial. 

The loss to Como was Napoli’s first defeat since the beginning of December, and there was more bad news for Conte as midfield star Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa was injured, suffering a muscular strain on his right leg and will be sidelined for the clash with I Nerazzurri. The Cameroon international will be out for the next couple of games, and it may well be January recruit Philip Billing who starts alongside Stanislav Lobotka in the middle of the park, with Scott McTominay pushed further forward.

On the wing, the in-form Giacomo Raspadori and Matteo Politano will hope to start, and they will be providing the ammunition for centre-forward Romelu Lukaku, who has nine goals and seven assists so far this season.  

 

Inter short of wing-backs

While Conte has some shuffling to do in his midfield, his opposite number Inzaghi also needs to make a change following the injury to Matteo Darmian during the Coppa win over Lazio. The former Manchester United Azzurri star, now 35, is a hugely influential player in Inter’s defence, but Darmian’s muscle strain leaves him highly likely to sit out the clash with Napoli.

Carlos Augusto and Nicola Zalewski are also injured, so the likelihood is that Denzel Dumfries will slot in, with Benjamin Pavard or Federico Dimarco on the other flank. Yann Bisseck is likely to continue at centre-back alongside Stefan de Vrij to make up the back four and, while there is plenty of quality, there the cover is thin. 

Former Napoli star Piotr Zielinski will line up against his old team in the battle for midfield, while Nicolo Barella will provide the creative muscle and the ammunition for the attacking group of Lautaro Martinez, Marcus Thuram, and Mehdi Taremi.           

Inter have been going well in the Champions League as well as the Coppa Italia, and now is the time that Champions show their mettle, but Inzaghi will be hoping his core team stays fit in time for him to get numbers back.  

 

History

Inter have had the better of this relationship with 23 wins to 17 in all competitions since 1993, while the last two meetings have ended in a 1-1 draw. The latest was in November as Inter’s Hakan Calhanoglu missed a penalty then equalised a Scott McTominay opener.  

With four wins, one draw and one loss from the last six games, Inzaghi’s team has been in better shape than their hosts recently, with the men of Naples winning two, drawing three, and then losing to Como.  

 

Betting Tip

Inter Milan are the favourites to win this top of the table clash at 2.38 with Napoli priced at 2.85, and the draw is at 3.01. A 1-1 draw, at odds of 5.80, might well suit Inter more than their hosts, who have suffered that exact outcome twice in recent weeks.

Both teams have played out four games with either two or three goals over the last six matches, and that’s where I think the value is.    

   

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