On a late Monday evening, the most interesting Serie A match will take place. The clubs of Milan's Inter and Napoli will test their strengths against each other, occupying the top two places in the Italian championship. What are the strengths of these teams and what factors could determine the winner in this intriguing clash, in this Eurofootball.com article.
Defense, defense, and even better defense. In this match, two teams will clash, demonstrating the best defense in the Serie A championship. Napoli has conceded 8 goals this season, while Inter only 7. Both teams have been strong in defense lately - Milan's team has not conceded a goal in four consecutive matches, and their opponents have kept a clean sheet in seven consecutive matches. It is obvious that one cannot expect high-scoring matches - a goalless draw can be a very real outcome.
Gonzalo Higuain. The Argentine forward is clearly the weapon of Napoli's attack and he proves it with 10 goals this season, including 5 accurate shots in the last six matches. What happens when this player is stopped? The last time Higuain left a match without scoring, the entire Napoli team failed to score. Although stopping the Argentine does not guarantee a clean sheet, halting Higuain will definitely be included in Roberto Mancini's defensive plan before the match.
Ball control. Both teams control the ball more often in Serie A matches than their opponents, but the hosts (Inter controls the ball on average 53.6%, Napoli - 58.2% of the match time) are more dominant. It will be important for them to outperform their opponents in this category in this clash. When Inter controls the ball more often than their opponents, they have not lost a single time - winning seven and drawing twice. By the way, when Napoli wins ball possession against their opponents, they do not keep the ball close to their goal, as the ball is in their opponents' third only 20% of the match time this season (the best result in Serie A).
Discipline. Today, two teams will meet that play very disciplined football. Players in these clubs do not take risks, which results in the fewest average passes and the fewest fouls in the Serie A championship. However, punishing opponents on rare occasions can be a good tactic for Inter. Napoli has scored only one goal out of 24 from set pieces this season, while 22 goals were scored after the team's positional attacks.
Home advantage? Both teams should not complain that the match will take place at the Stadio San Paolo stadium. The hosts have only lost points here once - playing a draw in the first home match against Sampdoria and winning the rest. Inter also has their strengths. Playing away, they have not lost yet - winning four and drawing twice. The best Serie A home team will face the best performing club at their home ground. This is just another factor that makes this clash even more intriguing.
Series. Both teams have won their last four matches in a row in all competitions. The unbeaten run is even longer - Inter has not faced defeat in seven matches, and their opponents (in Serie A and European league matches) have not lost in eighteen consecutive matches.
Injuries. None of the Napoli players have serious injuries, but one of the team's leaders, Lorenzo Insigne, missed a European league match due to a minor injury, and it is unclear what physical condition the player will be in before the Monday match. The most important loss for the visitors is the absence of their central defender Geoffrey Kondogbia, who has played in every match until now.
The match between Napoli and Inter teams will take place today at 22:00.
Tautvydas Sakalauskas
