Serie A championship rivals Napoli and Inter Milan will square off at Stadio Maradona on Saturday night, beginning March with a Scudetto match.
Inter took the lead last week after the Partenopei, the Italian champions who came before them, faltered once more. They have now lost four straight games.
Napoli ultimately lost their hold on top position last weekend after losing 2-1 to Como at Stadio Sinigaglia after failing to win any of their February games.
At a pivotal moment in the season, the Partenopei have only managed three points out of a possible twelve after posting three consecutive draws against Roma, Udinese, and Lazio.
No Antonio Conte-led side has ever endured a five-match winless streak in Serie A, and the former Inter manager will be eager to ensure that record remains intact when his team faces his former club.
A loss for Conte’s team would allow Inter to extend their lead to four points with just 11 games left in the season, while Atalanta BC also remain in contention for the title, keeping the race alive.
Although Conte’s determination to secure victories is undeniable, his squad’s lack of depth has begun to show vulnerabilities following a disappointing winter transfer window. This makes Saturday’s clash a crucial opportunity for his team to prove their worth.
Earlier in the season, both teams were sitting in the top two positions ahead of their November encounter, which ended in a 1-1 draw at San Siro. This time, however, Napoli will enter the match as the chasing side, hoping to break a poor run of form: they have managed just one win in their last 11 league meetings with Inter.
Over the same period, Inter have lost only once in their last five Serie A visits to Naples, and they will undoubtedly be motivated to maintain that strong record in this highly anticipated fixture.
The Italian champions begin the 27th matchday at the top of the league, a position they’ve held only for the second time this season, with the first instance dating back to mid-September.
However, Atalanta, who face struggling Venezia earlier in the day, could equal Inter’s 57 points with a victory, ensuring the title race remains a three-way battle.
Inter recently recovered from their defeat to Juventus in the Derby d’Italia by securing a narrow 1-0 win over Genoa, thanks to a late strike from captain Lautaro Martinez. They also advanced to the Coppa Italia semi-finals, setting up a high-stakes encounter with Milan. Despite converting both of their shots on target to knock out Lazio, Inter suffered a setback last month by losing the Supercoppa final to their city rivals. Nevertheless, the possibility of a treble remains within reach.
Under Simone Inzaghi, Inter not only lead the Scudetto race but are also poised to face Feyenoord, the team that defeated Milan, in the Champions League’s last 16. This could turn out to be a historic season for the black-and-blue side of Italy’s second city.
