MILAN, ITALY – NOVEMBER 10: Hakan Calhanoglu of FC Internazionale scores his workforce’s first aim, previous Alex Meret of Napoli (not pictured) throughout the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Napoli at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on November 10, 2024 in Milan, Italy. (Photograph by Marco Luzzani/Getty Photographs)
One of many greatest video games of the 2024-25 Serie A season is arising on Saturday, as second-place Inter host the present league leaders, Inter, with only one level separating the 2 groups forward of kick-off.
This would be the final time that the 2 groups face one another earlier than the top of the 2024-25 season. The one earlier assembly between the 2 sides this marketing campaign resulted in a 1-1 attract San Siro in November.
With the lead of the league desk on the road on Saturday, listed below are three key battles to observe from Saturday’s headline fixture on the Maradona.
Napoli vs. Inter: Three key battles to observe
Lautaro vs. Buongiorno
Rested for the Coppa Italia victory over Lazio on Tuesday, and having damaged a four-game goalscoring drought towards Genoa final day trip, Lautaro Martinez is able to lead the road towards Napoli on Saturday.
In an enormous enhance for the Nerazzurri, he may very well be joined by Marcus Thuram, who joined in with first-team coaching in full on Friday.
Naturally, Inter’s greatest goalscoring risk comes from their beginning centre-forwards, who, between them, have scored 23 of the 57 targets the workforce have scored in Serie A up to now this season.
They’ll present a troublesome check for Napoli’s again line, probably the most distinguished of whom is Italy worldwide Alessandro Buongiorno, who may both begin within the center or on the left of the again three relying on whether or not Amir Rrahmani retains his place within the workforce.
Raspadori vs. Bastoni
Whereas Napoli haven’t been on good type all through the month of February – three attracts and a loss from 4 matches – Raspadori is likely one of the few Partenopei gamers on respectable type heading into the Inter conflict.
He has two targets from his final two outings towards Como and Lazio, taking part in the complete 90 minutes in each of these matches; the primary time that has occurred in Serie A all season. Earlier than the Lazio sport two weeks in the past, Raspadori had not began within the league for the reason that 2-1 win over Parma within the third sport of the 2024-25 season.
Anticipated to begin alongside Romelu Lukaku in assault, Raspadori is presently the goal-scoring risk that Inter should hold a very shut eye over.
It will not be a shock to see the central of Inter’s three defenders – doubtless Francesco Acerbi – go man-to-man with Lukaku, which leaves Alessandro Bastoni and Yann-Aurel Bisseck to regulate Raspadori.
Politano vs. Dimarco
Pre-match reviews counsel that Conte is about to stay with a 3-5-2 for Inter, fairly than returning to a four-at-the-back system. If that’s the case, then Matteo Politano is more likely to begin from proper wing-back once more, which units up an attention-grabbing battle towards Italy’s beginning left wing-back Federico Dimarco.
Dimarco has cemented himself as some of the well-rounded wing-backs in Europe over the previous few seasons, however is usually at his greatest in possession and in attacking conditions.
With Politano being a winger by commerce, his defensive work will likely be put to the check towards the persistently threatening Nerazzurri wide-man.
The identical may be stated in the wrong way: Dimarco can even need to regulate his worldwide colleague, as he will likely be Napoli’s artistic outlet on the correct flank.
