Napoli vs Roma Match Analysis & Prediction
29/01/2023 10:45 pm
Continuing their Scudetto campaign into the second half of the Serie A season, league leaders Napoli welcome southern rivals Roma to Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Sunday night.
The teams meet in the Derby del Sole having enjoyed some fine form so far this year, with the hosts’ advantage at the top having recently grown to 12 points while their visitors have won three of their last four league matches.
Becoming only the fifth side in Serie A history to have won at least 16 of their opening 19 matches, Napoli beat their Campanian counterparts Salernitana last time out, and a 2-0 victory at Stadio Arechi means the Partenopei have won thei last three games by an aggregate score of 9-1.
That victory provided an immediate response to a very rare failure, after they had slipped out of the Coppa Italia against a Cremonese side yet to win a single game in Serie A, and also consolidated their 5-1 thumping of Calcio’s crisis club Juventus.
Before resuming their Champions League campaign at the end of next month, Napoli face surely their toughest test between now and then this weekend – yet they are unbeaten in eight of their last nine league matches against Roma and last lost to the Giallorossi in the top flight back in 2019.
Napoli also turned over their capital city counterparts in Rome earlier this season, with Victor Osimhen scoring the only goal late on, and they are also unbeaten in their last four league matches at home to Roma.
Since the turn of the year, only Newcastle United and Nantes have posted more clean sheets than Roma among teams in the top five European leagues, and their fourth from five matches came in La Spezia last weekend.
In fact, the Giallorossi prevented their hosts having a single shot on target at Stadio Alberto Picco, where goals just before and after the break from Stephan El Shaarawy and Tammy Abraham condemned Spezia to a 2-0 defeat.
As a result, Jose Mourinho’s side are still level with arch-rivals Lazio on points, and now within just one of second-placed AC Milan.
Given the self-inflicted woes of Juventus, a clear route back to the Champions League lies ahead in the second half of the season, though whether striker Nicolo Zaniolo will play any part in that journey remains to be seen.
Napoli vs. Roma Head to head
In the 49 previous meetings between these two sides across all competitions, Napoli have claimed 16 victories while Roma have won 20, and they have drawn in 13. Roma have scored 74 goals and conceded 65 in the process.
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29/11/2020Napoli4Roma0Serie A
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21/03/2021Roma0Napoli2Serie A
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24/10/2021Roma0Napoli0Serie A
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18/04/2022Napoli1Roma1Serie A
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23/10/2022Roma0Napoli1Serie A
Napoli Team News
Luciano Spalletti expects to have his whole Napoli squad available on Sunday, as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is back in action following a spell on the sidelines with illness.
At the back, Mathias Olivera may miss out to Mario Rui in the pair’s regular tussle for a spot on the left, so Kvaratskhelia’s stand-in Eljif Elmas could be the only man to make way.
Napoli's Last 5 Matches
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04/01/2023Inter Milan1Napoli0Serie A
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08/01/2023Sampdoria0Napoli2Serie A
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13/01/2023Napoli5Juventus1Serie A
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17/01/2023Napoli2Cremonese2(P)Coppa Italia
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21/01/2023Salernitana0Napoli2Serie A
Roma Team News
Roma have a selection dilemma to resolve on their right flank, as Rick Karsdorp remains excluded due to a falling-out with Jose Mourinho, and Zeki Celik must serve a suspension for accumulated bookings.
Stephen El Shaarawy could therefore shift out wide, with Nicola Zalewski swapping sides from the left, with captain Lorenzo Pellegrini expected to return, partnering Paulo Dybala in support of Tammy Abraham up front.
Roma's Last 5 Matches
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04/01/2023Roma1Bologna0Serie A
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08/01/2023AC Milan2Roma2Serie A
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12/01/2023Roma1Genoa0Coppa Italia
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15/01/2023Roma2Fiorentina0Serie A
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22/01/2023Spezia0Roma2Serie A
Napoli vs. Roma: Odds and Predictions
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