Title-deciding match in Naples – who’s winning?
7 min
It is not an exaggeration to say that Napoli vs Inter this weekend could be the Serie A game of the season. Internazionale currently lead the table with 57 points from 26 games, while Napoli are just one point behind on 56 from the same number of fixtures.
Atalanta are still a worthy third horse in the race on 54 points but Inter and Napoli are undoubtedly favourites to lift the Scudetto with their respective title-winning pedigree. With the margins so tight and just 12 games left to go this season, it could very well come down to who wins between Gli Azzurri and I Nerazzurri on Saturday. Let’s take a look at all the latest team news, predictions and odds for Napoli vs Inter.
The Venue
Diego Armando Maradona Stadium – Saturday 1 March. Kick-off: 18:00 local time.
The Diego Armando Maradona Stadium first opened back in 1959 but was most recently renovated in 2019. The stadium was first known by the name Stadio del Sole until 1963 when it switched to Stadio San Paolo. After the passing of Napoli club legend Diego Maradona in 2020, a proposal to rename the ground in his honour was passed by the city council. Napoli’s home stadium currently holds 54,726 fans. In the last five Serie A fixtures between Napoli and Inter at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, only one has been won by the home side. Inter have claimed two victories and two draws in those five meetings.
Napoli and Inter Form Guide
Let’s take a look at the form of Napoli and Internazionale heading into their most important meeting of the 2024/25 season.
Napoli
Napoli were in incredible form heading into 2025 but have struggled over the month of February. Antonio Conte and co have picked up just one win from their last five Serie A matches, drawing against Lazio, Udinese, and Roma while losing their last game 2-1 away to Como. Going four games without a win is certainly not title-winning form, but they will have a chance to right those wrongs with a championship six-pointer this weekend against Inter.
Internazionale
Inter have been far from unbeatable themselves over the past few weeks, picking up just two wins from their last five. It is no wonder why the likes of Atalanta and Juventus have made up ground on the two leading clubs in February. At least, Inter have managed to win two and draw one from those five fixtures. Those results include a draw away to AC Milan, a heavy loss away to Fiorentina, wins over Genoa and Fiorentina, and a defeat at the hands of Juventus. A win away to Napoli this weekend would guarantee they remain at the summit of the Serie A table.
Team News and Injury News
Napoli:
Napoli come into the game looking far healthier than their Inter counterparts. Only two players are likely to be missing for Antonio Conte. David Neres picked up a hamstring injury earlier this month and will be out until late March. Pasquale Mazzocchi will also be out injured with a calf problem until March 7. Both Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Frank Anguissa are at risk of suspension as they are each on four yellow cards, but will definitely be able to feature against Inter.
Internazionale:
Inter come into this huge game away to Napoli with a few walking wounded. Most notably, Marcus Thuram picked up an ankle injury earlier this month and looks set to spend a spell on the sidelines. Carlos Augusto and Nicola Zalewski also picked up a knock and a calf problem respectively in the past week. Yann Sommer broke his thumb after the win over Genoa, which will keep him out for two or three weeks. 19-year-old Valentin Carboni will be out until the end of June with a cruciate ligament tear.
Players to Watch
With this being first plays second in the Serie A table, there are undoubtedly players to watch all over the pitch. However, it may be the absences that are even more interesting this time around. For Napoli, Conte and co are bound to miss the electricity of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in attack after the Georgian winger moved to PSG in the winter transfer window. For Internazionale, the absence of Marcus Thuram will be a huge blow up front, with the Frenchman scoring for fun this season before his injury. However, we believe this game will be won and lost in the engine room. McTominay, Lobotka, and Anguissa could face off against Barella, Calhanoglu, and Mkhitaryan in a battle of industry vs technical skill. This game will be an absolute coin flip!
Napoli vs Inter Head-to-head Record
There have been 177 matches played between Inter and Napoli since their first meeting but Inter have much more of a winning pedigree in this particular battle. Internazionale have 81 wins in their history against Gli Azzurri, leaving just 52 wins for Napoli. The remaining 44 games have ended in a draw. In terms of all-time goals in this fixture, Inter have contributed 271 to Napoli’s 201. The top four scorers in Napoli vs Inter are all I Nerazzurri stars, with Giuseppe Meazza at the top of the table on 15. In the last 10 Serie A meetings between these two sides, Inter have won 5 and Napoli just one, with the remaining four ending in a draw. In fact, the last two matches between these two sides have ended with a point apiece. There have been 22 goals scored in their last 10 meetings, averaging 2.2 goals per game.
Potential Implications
The potential implications of this match are very simple. Inter want to win the Serie A title. Napoli want to win the Serie A title. Only one point separates the two in the race for the Scudetto. Winning this match would be a huge boost to the title credentials of either team. Of course, a draw in Naples could also give Atalanta the chance to bulldoze their way into the fight. In fact, if Napoli and Inter drew, and Atalanta won 3-0 this weekend, they would end the week at the top of the table. That is how close the Serie A is this season!
Predicted Line-Ups
Let’s take a look at how we expect Inter and Napoli to line up for the match this weekend.
Napoli Starting XI
Meret; Juan, Buongiorno, Rrahmani; Spinazzola, McTominay, Lobotka, Anguissa, Di Lorenzo; Raspadori, Lukaku.
Internazionale Starting XI
Martinez; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Correa, Martinez.
Napoli vs Internazionale Odds
The odds certainly reflect the reality of the situation at the top of the Serie A table heading into this one, with little to separate Napoli and Inter. It looks like this fixture could end up on an absolute knife edge as we build up to the action on Saturday evening.
Napoli to win: 3.20
Draw: 3.15
Internazionale to win: 2.38
Last season, Inter won this fixture away from home 3-0 and you can get odds of them doing the same at 23.00. Inter are 7.50 to see out a narrow 1-0 victory, 11.00 to win 2-0, and 8.50 to emerge with a 2-1 victory. Napoli, on the other hand, have odds of 8.50 to earn a narrow 1-0 home win, 15.00 for a 2-0 win, and 10.00 for a 2-1 victory. Draws can be had at 8.50 for 0-0, 6.00 for 1-1, and 13.00 for 2-2.
You can check the full range of Napoli vs Inter odds at Betsson HERE.
Napoli vs Internazionale Prediction
This one is almost impossible to call. Both Napoli and Inter have been up-and-down over the past month. Only one point separates them in the Serie A table, and they have drawn their last two matches against each other 1-1. Everything points towards it being a narrow and cagey contest. It might end up being one of those games where both teams are more frightened to lose than they are determined to win, which is why we are predicting a low-scoring draw in Naples. That would set up an extremely exciting climax to the 2024/25 Serie A season, in a straight Scudetto shootout between Napoli, Inter, and Atalanta for the title.
Prediction: Napoli 1-1 Internazionale
PS: The odds might have changed since the writing and publication of this article.
Last Updated: 26.02.2025
