Inter Milan vs Napoli

One of the most heavily anticipated fixtures in the Serie A calendar pits runaway leaders Inter Milan and reigning holders Napoli against each other at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.

Despite being minutes away from reaching the Champions League quarter-finals, Inter slumped to a gut-wrenching penalty shootout loss to Atletico Madrid in midweek after spurning a 2-0 aggregate lead (2-2). Manager Simone Inzaghi will hope the imminent return to Serie A will provide some relief, with his side taking the field having dropped points in just three of their last 22 league matches (W19, D3). Completing a season double against Napoli following a 3-0 victory in the reverse fixture would see ‘I Nerazzurri’ post an 11th consecutive top-flight triumph for only the third time in the club’s history. It would also be a big step toward smashing the all-time points record of 102. Confidence is high around the home camp, considering Inter have been victorious in their last five H2Hs at Meazza.

Like Inter, Napoli’s Champions League adventure ended midweek as Barcelona thumped them 3-1 in Spain, denying them their last chance to avoid a trophyless season and probably crushing their dreams of appearing at Europe’s top table next term. With ten points separating ‘I Partenopei’ from fourth-placed Bologna ahead of the kick-off, anything other than a win would land a knockout blow on their top-four hopes. Worryingly for interim boss Francesco Calzona, his men have already lost two competitive encounters against Inter this season without scoring. Ten goals across their last four league outings (W2, D2) suggest they’ve found consistency in front of goal, something they’ve desperately lacked on their recent visits to Meazza. In fact, they’ve failed to score in five of their last six away league H2Hs against Inter.