It will be first vs second in the Serie A table as Inter Milan take on a Napoli team in top form.
Form
In what has been a splendid season for Inter Milan where Roberto Mancini's men are first in Italy, it's not as good as it seems. Apart from their 4-0 thrashing of Frosinone last week, Inter have failed to blow opponents out of the water like a table leading team should. It's been a string of narrow victories for Inter Milan and this will be their first big test as they take on a surging Napoli team. They don't have to worry about any European competitions so all the focus is on Serie A. This will be the game where we measure how good Inter Milan are.
Napoli will be coming into this game in top form as they haven't lost since the opening weekend in Serie A. Napoli are two points behind Inter Milan and a win would propel themselves above their opponents and into first. They are however tied with Fiorentina on points for second and Roma are right behind them in the standings as well. But Napoli should be confident coming into the game as they have been beating opponents left, right and centre. They most recently dispatched struggling Hellas Verona 2-0 last week and just beat Club Brugge 1-0 in the Europa League, where they are flying as well. Napoli have qualified for the knockout stages already in the Europa League and remain unbeaten in Europe.
Key Players
The key player for Napoli will be their man in form, Gonzalo Higuain. The striker has been in top form since the season started, scoring 10 goals and nabbing two assists since the season has started. He will be a load to handle for a stingy Inter Milan defense that has only allowed an impressive seven goals this season.
The key player for Inter Milan will be their striker Mauro Icardi. The last time these two teams met, it was Icardi's penalty which helped Inter to a draw. He has four goals so far this season and one of which came in Inter's last match against Frosinone.
It will come down to which striker can convert the chances given to them.
Team News
Inter Milan may be without midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia in this fixture as he suffered a thigh injury and it may force him to miss the match. Napoli on the other hand will be missing Manolo Gabbiadini's talents on Monday night at the Stadio San Paolo.
If Inter Milan win this game, it will be their first win against Napoli since 1997.
What They're Saying
When asked about the two strikers in Gonzalo Higuain and Mauro Icardi, Inter manager Roberto Mancini said that it was "It's impossible to compare them right now"
When asked about what this game could mean in the Serie A table, Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri downplayed the importance and said "I don't think this game will have any huge implications,''