Stadio Diego Armando Maradona sets the stage for the 159th Serie A edition of the iconic Derby del Sole between Napoli and Roma. Saturday’s clash in Naples could either be a chance for under-fire home manager Massimiliano Allegri to turn the corner or mount even more pressure on his position.

Allegri’s tenure at Napoli has been off to a dreadful start. Last weekend’s 1-0 loss to basement boys Venezia marked the Partenopei’s third defeat in seven league matches this season (D1, L3), leaving them a whopping nine points adrift of early pacesetters Inter.

Encouragingly for the home fans, Napoli bounced back in midweek Champions League action with a pulsating 4-3 win over Bodo/Glimt, putting the first points on the board in this season’s league phase after losing to Arsenal and Villarreal. However, Allegri is not out of the woods yet.

In stark contrast, Gian Piero Gasperini could be on the brink of writing a new page in Roma’s history amid the club’s best Serie A start since 2014/15. Despite Donyell Malen’s absence, Roma eased past Genoa last weekend to maintain a near-flawless league record this term (W5, D2).

Malen returned to the scoresheet on Tuesday as Roma thrashed Slovan Bratislava 4-0 at home for their first Champions League victory this season (D1, L1). As such, the Giallorossi should travel in a buoyant mood, seeking their first top-flight win in this fixture since December 2023 (D3, L2).

Match Preview

Napoli

History favors Napoli for success here, with the Partenopei avoiding defeat in their last eight home meetings with Roma in Serie A (W4, D4) – their longest such streak since 1982. Extending that run with a win is anything but a foregone conclusion, especially considering that the two sides have shared the spoils 55 times in their 158 previous top-flight encounters (W50, L53).

Given the circumstances, Allegri may appreciate another draw here. For context, Napoli have lost three of their opening seven Serie A matches for the first time since 2009/10. However, a three-game winning home streak in all competitions can inspire confidence as they look to register three consecutive league clean sheets at the Maradona Stadium for the first time since October 2021.

Another shutout could be of the essence, particularly given Napoli’s scoring issues. Allegri’s charges have netted one goal or fewer in five of their last seven outings. If it’s any consolation, the only two exceptions came at this stadium, where Napoli beat Bodo/Glimt and Frosinone by a combined score of 7-3.

Roma

Gasperini’s side returned to the win column after back-to-back Serie A draws last weekend, setting themselves up perfectly for this unfavorable match-up. You’d need to go back to March 2018 for Roma’s last away win over Napoli, perhaps best illustrating the magnitude of the task awaiting the visitors this weekend.

With momentum firmly on their side here, Roma might be facing their best chance to avenge recent slip-ups in Naples. Indeed, 17 points from the opening seven Serie A matchdays represents the club’s best start to a new top-flight season since 2014/15. Furthermore, the visitors have recently reigned supreme on the road.

Before being held to a scoreless draw by Como on their last Serie A trip, Roma had won four successive away league matches, keeping three clean sheets in the process. As the only Serie A side yet to concede a goal away from home this term, the Giallorossi could register four road shutouts at the beginning of a new top-flight campaign for the first time since 2017/18.

Team News

Alessandro Buongiorno, David Neres, Costantino Favasuli, and Alisson Santos remain on the sidelines. However, Antonio Vergara’s return from injury hands Napoli a timely fitness boost now that the two Brazilian wingers are not at Allegri’s disposal. Despite Vergara’s recovery, scoring could be a problem for the hosts, whose first-choice striker Rasmus Hojlund has tallied just two goals this season.

Meanwhile, Malen will be available this weekend after serving a one-game suspension against Genoa. Yet, the Dutchman’s preferred attacking partner, Paulo Dybala, is struggling with a calf injury and will miss this showdown. The same applies to three other major Roma stars: Mile Svilar, Manu Kone, and Lorenzo Pellegrini.

Napoli vs Roma Potential Starting Lineups

Napoli (3-4-2-1): Meret; Beukema, Marin, Rrahmani; Di Lorenzo, Lobotka, McTominay, Spinazzola; Politano, De Bruyne; Hojlund.

Roma (3-4-2-1): Gollini; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Lulli, De Roon, Pisilli, Wesley; Soule, Mora; Malen.

Napoli vs Roma Prediction

Roma head into proceedings in far better shape than their eternal rivals, but it’s impossible to underestimate the importance of home advantage in a fixture that has historically favoured Napoli. The Partenopei have been up a creek without a paddle at the start of Allegri’s regime, but they could take a point here.

Prediction: Draw

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