Kicking off March with a Scudetto showdown, Serie A title rivals Napoli and Inter Milan will clash at Stadio Maradona on Saturday evening.
Last week, Inter stole top spot as their immediate predecessors as Italian champions stumbled again - the Partenopei are now four games without a win.
Match preview
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Having failed to win any of their February fixtures, Napoli finally lost their grip on first place last weekend, when they suffered a damaging 2-1 defeat to Como at Stadio Sinigaglia.
Having previously posted three straight draws - against Roma, Udinese and Lazio - the Partenopei have therefore taken just three points from a possible 12 at a crucial stage of the season.
No Antonio Conte team has ever gone five consecutive matches without winning in Serie A, so the ex-Inter coach will be determined that does not happen against his old club.
Defeat would allow the Nerazzurri to move four points clear with 11 games remaining, and Atalanta BC are not out of the title fight either.
While Conte's will to win is unquestioned, his thin squad has started to show cracks after a disappointing winter transfer window, so they have plenty to prove on Saturday evening.
Both sides occupied the top two spots before November's reverse fixture - a 1-1 draw at San Siro - and this time Napoli will trail, as they again aim to end a dismal trend: they have won just one of the teams' last 11 league meetings.
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During that time, Inter have been beaten only once in five top-flight trips to Naples, and they will need no motivation to continue in that vein.
The Italian champions start the 27th matchday as league leaders, and for just a second time this season - the first since mid-September.
Yet, Atalanta play lowly Venezia a few hours earlier and would draw level on 57 points with a win, so there are still three horses in the race.
Last week, Inter bounced back from defeat to Juventus in the Derby d'Italia, beating Genoa 1-0 thanks to a late goal from captain Lautaro Martinez before going through to the Coppa Italia semi-finals.
Setting up a seismic clash with Milan, the Nerazzurri scored with both of their two shots on target to eliminate Lazio; though they lost last month's Supercoppa final to their city rivals, a potential treble is still up for grabs.
Simone Inzaghi's side not only have their noses ahead in the Scudetto race but are also set to meet Milan's conquerors Feyenoord in the Champions League's last 16, so it could yet be an historic year for the black-and-blue half of Italy's second city.
Team News
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Due to a lack of fit and in-form wingers, Antonio Conte recently switched to his preferred 3-5-2 formation - which he once implemented so well at Inter - and Napoli should set up that way again this weekend.
Conte's decision to bench Frank Anguissa in Como backfired, as he avoided the booking that would have triggered a one-match ban but picked up an injury after being sent on as a substitute. David Neres and Pasquale Mazzocchi are also unavailable.
Bournemouth loanee Philip Billing is poised to fill for Anguissa, joining Stanislav Lobotka and Scott McTominay in the hosts' engine room.
Meanwhile, up front, Giacomo Raspadori should partner Romelu Lukaku, who scored 57 goals in 97 Serie A appearances for Inter between 2019 and 2023.
Over the past six years, only Lautaro Martinez has hit double figures in more different seasons than Lukaku; however, 'El Toro' has scored just once in six away matches versus Napoli - back in January 2020. His strike partner Marcus Thuram is now fully fit and should start, as Inter's cup strikers Marko Arnautovic and Mehdi Taremi return to the bench.
Matteo Darmian has been ruled out by a thigh strain, joining fellow wing-backs Carlos Augusto and Nicola Zalewski on the sidelines, while first-choice goalkeeper Yann Sommer will not return for another two weeks.
Featuring in the visitors' midfield, Hakan Calhanoglu converted a penalty against Lazio in midweek and has scored in two of his last three league games against Napoli - in this term's reverse fixture and at the Maradona last season.
Napoli possible starting lineup:
Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno; Politano, Billing, Lobotka, McTominay, Spinazzola; Raspadori, Lukaku
Inter Milan possible starting lineup:
J. Martinez; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, L. Martinez
We say: Napoli 0-1 Inter Milan
Not only do Napoli seem to be running out of steam, having arguably overachieved so far this season, but they also have grim recent record against Inter.
The Nerazzurri are far from their fluent best either, but they have scored 17 more goals than their hosts to this point, averaging over two per game away from home.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
