Napoli vs Inter Milan Preview and Prediction: Conte's Nightmare

Latest team news for Napoli vs Inter Milan

Napoli are facing several injury problems in their attack. Romelu Lukaku – the former Inter player – remains absent, and recently Rasmus Hojlund suffered a thigh injury in training. Conte is hoping the team's most effective striker can recover in time for the big match.

Otherwise, Lorenzo Lucca – despite having just received a red card in the European Cup – is likely to continue starting alongside Matteo Politano, who has scored 3 goals against Inter since leaving the club.

In defense and midfield, Napoli will be without center-back Amir Rrahmani and central midfielder Stanislav Lobotka. Billy Gilmour may continue to fill Lobotka's position.

On Inter's side, midfielder Piotr Zielinski – who played 364 matches and scored 51 goals for Napoli – is likely to be on the bench in his return to the Maradona Stadium.

Several Inter key players were rested for the Champions League match and will return to the starting lineup this weekend. Marcus Thuram remains absent due to a hamstring injury.

Ange-Yoan Bonny – who once scored at Maradona's stadium while playing for Parma – or the young talent Francesco Pio Esposito will partner captain Lautaro Martinez in attack.

Martinez has scored five goals against Napoli in his career, but hasn't scored against them in Serie A since 2022. Meanwhile, Esposito recently scored his first goals in Serie A, the Champions League, and for his national team.

Latest predicted lineups for Napoli vs Inter Milan

Napoli:

Meret; Di Lorenzo, Beukema, Buongiorno, Spinazzola; Gilmour; Politano, Anguissa, De Bruyne, McTominay; Lucca

Inter Milan:

Sommer; Akanji, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Bonny, Martinez

Latest football match prediction: Napoli vs Inter Milan

Since the last international break, Napoli – with their squad ravaged by injuries – have lost the luck that once helped them secure some unconvincing victories.

Last weekend, the reigning Serie A champions lost 0-1 to Torino, and midweek they suffered another crushing 2-6 defeat against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League despite taking the lead through Scott McTominay. Notably, striker Lorenzo Lucca – who is currently out of form – was even sent off in the second half.

This defeat was a major shock for manager Antonio Conte, who had seen his team lose two of their last three Serie A matches – equaling their total number of defeats in the previous 31 rounds.

Nevertheless, when hosting Inter Milan – his former team that Napoli overtook in the title race last season – Conte can still rely on their extremely consistent home form.

Since last December, Napoli have been unbeaten in 15 home Serie A matches, scoring in every game and winning 12 of them. This season alone, they have won all three of their first home games in the league.

In the last three encounters between Napoli and Inter in Serie A, the two teams have all drawn 1-1. If Napoli want to compete for the championship, they must quickly halt their current slump – especially against a direct rival.

In contrast to the home team's shaky form, Inter traveled to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in incredibly impressive form: winning all 7 of their most recent matches in all competitions.

Since their defeat to Juventus in September, Cristian Chivu's team has performed flawlessly in both Serie A and the Champions League. Most recently, they thrashed Union Saint-Gilloise 4-0 away from home, maintaining their winning streak and remaining goalless in European competitions.

Earlier, Inter also defeated Roma at the Olimpico stadium, with substitute striker Ange-Yoan Bonny contributing to 5 goals in just the last two matches – replacing the injured Marcus Thuram.

Inter currently boasts the strongest attack in Serie A with 18 goals after 7 rounds, and as many as 9 different players have scored – the highest number in the league.

Not only are Inter scoring regularly, but their defense is also solid: they have kept a clean sheet in 4 of their last 5 away games in Serie A – the only exception being the bizarre 3-4 defeat against Juve in the Derby d'Italia.

Despite being a "newcomer" coach in Serie A, Cristian Chivu is performing beyond expectations and will have an interesting tactical battle with the seasoned strategist Antonio Conte.

Latest Napoli vs Inter Milan score prediction

Based on the above football analysis, we and leading football websites worldwide have provided our predictions for the match.Napoli vs Inter Milanas follows:

• Sportsmole:Napoli 2-1 Inter Milan

• WhoScore:Napoli 1-1 Inter Milan
• We predict:Napoli 1-1 Inter Milan

When and where can I watch Napoli vs Inter Milan live?

To watch the Napoli vs Inter Milan match live in Serie A, taking place at 00:00 on October 26th, viewers can tune in to the following channels:K+ Sport,K+PMor online sports channels. We hope you enjoy watching football.