Napoli vs Fiorentina

The Stadio Diego Armando Maradona sets the stage for a high-stakes encounter tonight, Saturday, January 31, 2026, as Napoli hosts a struggling Fiorentina. With both teams coming off disappointing midweek cup exits, the focus shifts entirely to their contrasting domestic ambitions.

Napoli enters the weekend in 4th place (43 points), looking to snap a recent slump that has left them nine points adrift of league-leaders Inter. Meanwhile, Fiorentina finds themselves in the unusual and precarious position of 18th place (17 points), fighting a desperate battle to escape the relegation zone.

Match Information

Napoli: Weathering the "Emergency"

Antonio Conte’s side is currently navigating a severe injury crisis that threatened to derail their season. After a bruising 3–0 defeat to Juventus and a 3–2 Champions League exit at the hands of Chelsea on Wednesday, Conte has been vocal about the "emergency" state of his squad. Despite the fatigue, Napoli remains unbeaten at home in Serie A this season (W7, D3).

Team News and Selection:

• The Injury List: The Partenopei are without a staggering array of stars: Kevin De Bruyne (hamstring), David Neres (ankle), Matteo Politano, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Billy Gilmour, and Amir Rrahmani are all sidelined.

• Lukaku's Return: The one silver lining is the return of Romelu Lukaku, though he may start on the bench after only recently resuming full training.

• The Striker: Rasmus Højlund leads the line; he has 6 goals this season and scored in the reverse fixture.

• Predicted XI (3-4-2-1): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Buongiorno, Juan Jesus; Spinazzola, Lobotka, McTominay, Olivera; Vergara, Elmas; Højlund.

Fiorentina: Fighting for Survival

Paolo Vanoli’s men are in the midst of a nightmare campaign. Their confidence took another hit on Tuesday with a 3–1 loss to Como in the Coppa Italia. However, there are flickers of hope: the Viola have picked up 11 of their 17 points in the last seven matches, suggesting a slow upward trend. They currently sit just one point away from safety.

Team News and Selection:

• Striker Doubt: Roberto Piccoli is a major doubt after picking up a knock against Como; Moise Kean is expected to lead the attack in his absence.

• Tactical Shift: Vanoli is expected to favor a more defensive setup, with Fabiano Parisi likely starting over the more attack-minded Manor Solomon to contain Napoli's wing-backs.

• Key Creative Hub: Albert Guðmundsson remains the primary threat, having scored three of his four goals this season in high-pressure matches.

• Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Mandas; Smith, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez; Cook, Christie; Semenyo, Scott, Adli; Kean.

? Head-to-Head (H2H) and Tactical Trends

• Recent Dominance: Napoli has won the last three Serie A meetings against Fiorentina, including a 3–1 win in the reverse fixture in September 2025.

• Home Comforts: Napoli has avoided defeat in 20 of their last 21 home matches across all competitions.

• Scoring Woes: Fiorentina has failed to score before half-time in 16 of their 22 league games this season.

• Discipline: Fiorentina ranks in the top three for most fouls suffered (16.2 per match), suggesting they will look to disrupt Napoli’s rhythm frequently.

Tactical Analysis and Prediction

This is a game of survival for both managers. Conte needs to find a way to rotate his exhausted, injury-thinned squad without losing defensive solidity. Vanoli will likely set Fiorentina up in a low block, hoping to frustrate the Neapolitans and strike through the technical quality of Guðmundsson on the break.

While Napoli’s injury list is daunting, their form at the Maradona and the physical presence of Scott McTominay (3 goals in his last 5 games) should be enough to overcome a Fiorentina side that has struggled significantly on the road.

Final Score Prediction: Napoli 2–0 Fiorentina