SSC Neapel – AC Milan
A traditional duel takes place at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Sunday evening when Napoli host AC Milan. Napoli, who are second in the table, are three points behind leaders Inter and want to underpin their title ambitions. Milan, on the other hand, are in 9th place with 47 points and hope to close the gap in the race for a place in the European competitions with a win. In the last meeting in October 2024, Napoli celebrated a 2-0 victory at the San Siro. Despite this setback, the Rossoneri have won two games in a row, which adds to the excitement of this traditional clash.
Napoli – AC Mailand Infos
- Spielort: Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Napoli
- Date and Time: 30.03.2025, 20:45
- Competition: Serie A (Regular Season – 30)
Napoli Form & Balance Check
Napoli’s recent form under Antonio Conte is worrying: just one win in the last five games – the 2-1 win over Fiorentina – is not enough to meet their own standards. The goalless 0-0 draw against Venezia was particularly sobering, as the Partenopei left points lying against a supposedly weaker opponent. It is striking that Napoli scored in four of their last five games, but also conceded goals each time. This defensive vulnerability is uncharacteristic of a Conte team. A 1-1 draw against Inter, a 2-1 defeat against Como and a 2-2 draw against Lazio also highlighted recurring problems in their defensive organization. Ahead of the important home game against Milan, Conte must therefore urgently find solutions to avoid falling further behind Inter.
Napoli are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 under Antonio Conte. Meret is expected to be in goal, while Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno and Spinazzola are expected to be in the back four. Gilmour and Lobotka could provide stability in the double-six, with Anguissa possibly only making the bench. Politano, Raspadori and Neres can be expected in attack behind striker Romelu Lukaku – Lukaku has settled well into Conte’s system and will probably be preferred to Simeone.
AC Milan Form & Balance Check
The Rossoneri have experienced similar ups and downs: although they recently managed two wins against Como (2-1) and Lecce (3-2), they had previously suffered three consecutive defeats (1-2 each against Lazio, Bologna and Torino). In particular, the defense is faltering: in each of the last five games, Milan has conceded at least one goal, often sleeping through the first half – trailing at half-time in four of the last five encounters. Offensively, the trio of Christian Pulišić, Rafael Leão and Tijjani Reijnders may be scoring goals, but they cannot hide defensive gaps. With 47 points in ninth place and only one point behind Fiorentina, Milan are in danger of missing out on a place in the top four if they don’t find consistency.
Sérgio Conceição is also likely to field a 4-2-3-1 formation for Milan. Walker, Thiaw, Hernández and Gabbia are likely to form the back four, with Maignan as the usual reliable backstop. In front of them, the duo Musah and Bondo could operate as a double six. In the offensive line of three, Pulišić and Leão are likely to be on the flanks, while Reijnders pulls the strings centrally. Giménez is the only striker possible, with high-quality alternatives in the form of Tomori, Chukwueze or Jović lurking in the wings.
Napoli – AC Mailand head to head & statistics
In the last five meetings, Milan have won twice, Napoli once, while there have been two draws. The most recent game was won by the southern Italians 2-0 away in October 2024. It is noticeable that Milan were ahead in each of the four matches before the break – Napoli showed weaknesses in the first 45 minutes, while fewer goals were scored after the break. In 80% of these games, fewer than 1.5 goals were scored after the break, indicating a more cautious approach. The Champions League tie in April 2023 was also a close-run thing, with the return game ending 1-1 after Milan had won the first leg 1-0.
