A thrilling spectacle. I've been Craig Vickers and I'm signing off! Goodnight!
Inter competed better with a numerical disadvantage. Napoli, though, were indebted to Higuain. And they nearly blew it in the dying embers, too!
A high-octane ending, but Napoli escape and leapfrog Inter atop Serie A.
Full-time: Napoli 2-1 Inter.
90+3': CHANCE! Jovetic cannons a header off the post and Napoli survive. And Reina, from Miranda's header, makes a spectacular save. What an ending!
88': CHANCE! Higuain ghosts past three challenges and fashion an attempt across Handanovic.
86': Substitution for Napoli: Callejon off, Maggio on.
86': CHANCE! Biabany surges down the right and sends an inviting cross into Ljajic, whose foiled impeccably by the advancing Reina.
84': Napoli teetering on the brink. Christian Maggio readying for action.
83': Shades of Sampdoria's visit to San Paolo in August at the moment. Inter almost grab a leveller as Ljajic forages in-behind.
82': Substitution for Inter: Perisic off, Jovetic on.
78': Substitution for Napoli: Hamsik off, David Lopez on.
77': CHANCE! Brozovic bursts through several challenges and releases an effort at Reina's goal, but it lacks sufficient power and it trickles wide.
69': Substitution for Napoli: Insigne off, El Kaddouri on.
66': Ghoulam jars the ball back into Ljajic's path and the winger shifts the ball onto his left foot and beats Reina low at his near post. Game on!
GOALLLLL!!!!! ADEM LJAJIC!!!!
61': The Argentine burst through the middle, shrugs off the attentions of Murillo and dispatches beyond Handanovic with aplomb.
GOALLLLL!!!!!! HIGUAINNNN AGAIN!!!!!
60': Substitution for Inter: Guarin off, Biabany on.
59': Callejon finds Hamsik at the far stick but the midfielder headers straight at Handanovic.
56': Ghoulam whips a tantalising centre towards Higuain but he headers wide.
51': A yellow apiece for Allan and Guarin.
45': Napoli get the second period underway!
45': Half time substitution: Icardi off, Alex Telles on.
However, Nagatomo's dismissal two minutes before the interval may alter the complexion of the second-half.
Half time: Napoli 1-0 Inter. Higuain's early strike seperates the sides.
43': Having been booked nine minutes earlier, the full-back goes diving into a challenge with Allan and sees red.
NAGATOMO SENT OFF!
41': Napoli have yet to fashion a menacing opportunity since Higuain's opener within 90 seconds.
39': CHANCE! Ljajic pulls the ball back to Perisic inside the danger area but the Croat scuffs his shot wide of the mark.
35': And now Hysaj is cautioned. Referee brandishing yellows like there's no tomorrow.
34': Nagatomo is booked for a late challenge on Callejon.
28': CHANCE! Guarin works the ball onto his favoured side and curls an effort towards goal but it bends inches wide of the post.
24': Hamsik picks out Higuain in-behind but the linesman raises his flag.
16': Inter break swiftly via Adem Ljajic. The Serb finds Perisic in acres of space but the Croat crosses into touch.
15': Hamsik tries his luck from a narrowed angle but his effort is comfortably saved by Handanovic.
10': Koulibaly is booked for a hare-brained lunge on Guarin.
9': Insigne plays a lovely give-and-go with Higuain. The ball falls invitingly to Hamsik at the edge of the area but the midfielder skies his effort over the bar.
6': CHANCE! Hamsik dinks a delightful pass into Callejon at the far stick but the Spaniard snatches at his effort.
2': Frenetic start. And to think Icardi was almost ushered in after Koulibaly dwelled in possession.
1': Jeison Murillo cannot clear his lines and, via Jose Callejon's inadvertant touch, the ball trickles to Higuain who rifles his effort beyond Handanovic.
GOALLLLLL!!!!! GONZALOOOOO HIGUAIN!!!!!!!
1': Inter get us underway!
The Napoli faithful unfurl a banner depicting Lorenzo Insigne, a native of the city, as superman.
It's a full house in the San Paolo.
Napoli XI: Reina; Hysaj, Albiol, Koulibaly, Ghoulam; Allan, Jorginho, Hamsik; Callejon, Higuain, Insigne.
Inter Milan XI: Handanovic; D'Ambrosio, Miranda, Murillo, Nagatomo; Guarin, Medel, Brozovic; Perisic, Icardi, Ljajic.
Kick off in Naples is set for 8PM BST, with team news expected to arrive an hour beforehand.
Fiorentina will have the chance to leapfrog the Nerazzuri before the game as they face Sassuolo at 6PM. They too have been in fantastic form since their 2-1 defeat against Napoli.
Juve, though, are beginning to creep up on the Champions League places after they disposed of Palermo by a 3-0 scoreline.
The Partenopei will be buoyed by Roma's defeat to Atalanta on Sunday, which provides them with the perfect opportunity to put some daylight between themselves and the Roman side.
Jorginho, too, has excelled in midfield after a near-departure in the summer whilst Allan has added goals to his game from midfield.
However, it has been the form of Lorenzo Insigne that has aided Napoli's surge up the table. The Italian was the match-winner against Verona last weekend when he scored one and manufactured the other in a 2-0 win over the cellar-dwellers.
Sarri was swift to offer his advice to the forward upon arrival, claiming Higuain could be one of the best forwards on the planet if he shed some pounds, and he has lost five since.
Gonzalo Higuain is in blistering form too as he sets the pace atop the Capocannoniere standings. The Argentine cites his new dietary regime as reasoning for his upturn in fortunes, eliminating sugar from his diet and replacing it with nuts.
Two points adrift of the league leaders, Napoli have netted the third most goals in Serie A this term and are unbeaten since the opening day of the season - when they suffered a 2-1 reverse at Sassuolo.
Napoli, though, will put their defensive stinginess to the test as Maurizio Sarri continues to attract admiring glances with his brand of free-flowing, attacking football.
Encouragingly, they lead the league in clean sheets too while Arrigo Sacchi, the former Milan boss and footballing innovator, believes Inter's brand of football is tolerated strictly in Italy.
Mauro Icardi was jettisoned when Inter were held by Juventus but has returned to the fray and netted in last weekend's win over Frosinone.
Jeison Murillo has proven an astute acquisition from Granada, while Adem Ljajic and Stevan Jovetic continue to impress.
The Nerazzurri are unbeaten since the ignominious 4-1 thrashing dealt to them by Fiorentina in September and, more importantly, they travel to Naples on a four-game winning run.
Defensive parsimony has characterised Roberto Mancini's tenure thus far and this evening's clash has been billed as attack vs defence - such is the contrasting ideologies of both managers.
Inter were rampant throughout and it was the first fixture of the season that they had won by more than a single goal margin.
First meets second in this clash as Inter look to strengthen their grip on top spot after last week's 4-0 rout of Frosinone at the Meazza.
Hello all! I'm Craig Vickers and welcome to VAVEL UK's live coverage of Napoli's clash with Inter Milan in the Serie A, at the San Paolo.