Napoli vs AC Milan Prediction & Match Preview
Serie A | Gameweek 10
Oct 29, 2023 at 7.45pm UK
Stadio Diego Armando Maradona
The Stadio Diego Armando Maradona is set to reverberate with excitement as Napoli and Milan collide in the upcoming Serie A derby on Sunday evening.
Napoli swiftly recovered from a 3-1 defeat to Fiorentina, securing a victory over Verona with an identical scoreline. Their confidence is soaring, particularly after a hard-fought Champions League win against Union Berlin. Even in the absence of their injured top scorer, Victor Osimhen, Napoli has demonstrated their ability to produce impressive performances. Therefore, we anticipate a strong showing from them in this match, despite the absence of Juan Jesus and Zambo Anguissa due to injuries.
On the other hand, the Rossoneri faced a setback with a 1-0 loss to Juventus over the weekend, with the additional challenge of Malick Thiaw’s red card just before half-time. Unfortunately, the German defender is suspended and will not be part of the Naples trip. Moreover, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ismael Bennacer, Mattia Caldara, and Samuel Chukwueze remain sidelined due to injuries.
Nonetheless, we can expect a closely contested match, and a draw seems like a tempting bet.
Team News:
With the 2022-23 Capocannoniere Victor Osimhen sidelined due to a hamstring injury, Napoli will need to make adjustments in their forward line. Giacomo Raspadori, who secured a midweek victory, is the favored choice to lead the attack over Giovanni Simeone.
In the midfield, Frank Anguissa is nearing a return from a thigh problem. However, Juan Jesus is still unavailable, which means Natan and Amir Rrahmani are likely to start in central defense.
Piotr Zielinski has an impressive track record with four league goals against Milan. He also stands out as the only midfielder with double-digit assists in Serie A since the beginning of last season (10), surpassed only by forwards Rafael Leao (11) and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (13).
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, after overcoming a downturn in form earlier this year, has demonstrated his impact with 14 shot-ending ball carries and seven chance-creating carries in domestic games this season (21 combined). In this regard, only Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele has a higher tally (22) across Europe’s top five leagues.
Milan’s attacking options receive a boost with the return of Noah Okafor, who has resumed full training. However, Luka Jovic may not be fit in time for the match at the Stadio Maradona. Additionally, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Samu Chukwueze, Ismael Bennacer, back-up goalkeeper Marco Sportiello, and suspended center-back Malick Thiaw will be unavailable for the clash.
Good news for Milan, as both Mike Maignan and Theo Hernandez, who featured on Wednesday, are eligible to return from Serie A suspensions that kept them out of action last weekend.
