Inter and Napoli clash in high-stakes showdown
Neither league leader Inter Milan nor second-placed Napoli are in the best of form ahead of what could be a season-defining spectacle when the two sides meet in a high-stakes Serie A clash this weekend.
Inter recently snatched top spot from Napoli thanks to a 1-0 win over Genoa, coupled with the latter's 2-1 defeat to Como, and is a point ahead of its title rival with both sides having 12 games left to play.
Neither side, however, can claim to be at its peak ahead of the game in Naples, as a gruelling season begins to take its toll with injury lists expanding at a worrying rate.
Inter has won two of its past five league games, while Napoli, which is still adjusting to life without Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who left for Paris Saint-Germain in January, is winless in its past four.
Napoli earned just three points from four matches in February, with key midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa sidelined with a calf injury sustained in its recent loss to Como and winger David Neres recovering from a hamstring injury.
However, Inter is not without their own problems, particularly in defence, with Carlos Augusto, Matteo Darmian and midfielder Nicola Zalewski all sidelined with injuries, while goalkeeper Yann Sommer is still recovering from a thumb operation.
Either way, it is set up to be an intriguing battle at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, as, for the fifth time in the past 10 seasons, Napoli and Inter will compete when starting the matchday in the top two positions of the Serie A table; three of those meetings have ended in a draw, including the reverse fixture this season, which ended 1-1.
Napoli has won only one of its past 11 matches against Inter in Serie A, and the Nerazzurri have lost just one of their past five away games against Napoli in the league.
However, if Atalanta beat second-from-bottom Venezia earlier in the day, it would go level on points with Inter, giving it a prime opportunity to turn the Scudetto battle into a three-horse race.
Despite a turbulent period that saw it exit the UEFA Champions League, and manager Gian Piero Gasperini announce he would not renew his contract, all while dealing with a spat with key striker Ademola Lookman, the Bergamo club has capitalised on Inter's and Napoli's inconsistent form to narrow the gap in the title race.
It has no new injury concerns and could field Serie A's top scorer, Mateo Retegui (21 goals). He has scored the joint-most goals in 2025 in the big five European leagues with nine, level with Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele.
At AC Milan, the momentum manager Sergio Conceicao built with his Supercoppa Italiana triumph in just his second match at the club appears to have waned.
Italian media report that he is under scrutiny after some disappointing recent results, including a UEFA Champions League exit and back-to-back league defeats against Torino and Bologna. This weekend's home clash with Lazio could prove pivotal in shaping his future at the club.
Milan could lose three games in a row in Serie A for the first time since January and February 2023, but has avoided defeat in six of its past seven league games against Lazio, giving it a kernel of hope.
Juventus, meanwhile, must steady itself after a shock Coppa Italia exit to Empoli in midweek to maintain its Serie A momentum.
With four consecutive league wins, it has climbed into the coveted fourth spot, reportedly the minimum target manager Thiago Motta must achieve to secure another season at the helm.
Despite a lengthy injury list, which midfielder Douglas Luiz recently joined, Juve should have enough quality to overcome 14th-placed Verona on home soil.
