Important Facts
- Napoli go into the game in third place (53 points) with a narrow cushion – four points behind Milan and only two ahead of Roma.
- Napoli comes into the game on the back of two 2-1 away wins (Atalanta, Verona), but in their last five competitive games they have scored and conceded goals; Højlund and Lukaku have been decisive recently.
- The absences of Rrahmani and Di Lorenzo weaken Napoli’s defense, and Lobotka and McTominay are also likely to be missing; Gilmour is likely to take on more responsibility in midfield.
- De Bruyne and Anguissa are back in the squad and could come off the bench, which suggests they will be used to provide momentum later in the game rather than playing at full throttle from the first minute.
- Turin started under D’Aversa with a 2-0 win over Lazio (Simeone, Zapata) after a string of poor results; Prati was highlighted, while Aboukhlal and Savva are missing on the wings.
- The market sees Napoli as clear favorites at around 1.5, but the H2H is usually tough (five times under 3.5 goals); at the same time, Napoli’s series of goals conceded statistically supports “Both teams to score: Yes.”
Pressure is the real issue this time around when Turin show up at Maradona in Naples on Friday. The table clearly shows the contrast: Napoli are third with 53 points, four behind Milan and only two ahead of Roma, while Turin are 14th with 30. Even a good run feels fragile for Antonio Conte, especially since the last match in October 2025 ended 1-0 for Torino. It has also been an eventful week off the pitch, with Lobotka and McTominay expected to miss out, but De Bruyne and Anguissa are back in the squad and could get minutes off the bench.
- Venue: Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples
- Date and time: March 6, 2026, 8:45 p.m.
- Competition: Serie A (matchday 28)
In any case, the latest indications point towards “Both teams to score: Yes”: Napoli have conceded a goal in each of their last five games, and with Rrahmani and Di Lorenzo still out, Turin can hope for a moment of luck – perhaps for Simeone or Zapata, even if Napoli’s attacking power usually prevails.
Napoli form & record check
Napoli are coming off a 2-1 league win in Verona, with Højlund scoring early and Lukaku sealing the deal late. That was the minimum requirement after the 2-1 win at Atalanta.
Before that, Conte’s team played 2-2 against Roma, a game that showed their offensive breadth, but also how often they open the door for their opponents. The Coppa Italia exit after a penalty shootout against Como continues to hang in the air as a missed opportunity. In their last five competitive games, Napoli have always scored, but at the same time they have always conceded, which is not a comfortable combination for a team that wants to secure third place. The situation in midfield is particularly exciting, with Gilmour likely to take on more responsibility if Lobotka is unavailable. In addition, De Bruyne and Anguissa are back after long breaks and could pick up the pace later in the game rather than from the kickoff.
Conte is likely to stick with his recent back three, plus a defensive midfielder and two players behind the center forward, so a system that is pretty close to the expected starting eleven: Meret behind Beukema, Jesus, and Buongiorno. Politano and Spinazzola would provide width, while Gilmour and Elmas would be expected to push the ball forward quickly into space, to Vergara and Santos, who would support Højlund. Of course, this is just a snapshot, but the personnel situation is having an impact: Rrahmani, Di Lorenzo, and Neres are expected to be out, and Lobotka and McTominay are also out with muscle problems, making Gilmour the obvious option at six. De Bruyne and Anguissa are back in training and could come off the bench, as could Lukaku if Conte wants to switch to a two-striker formation in the closing stages.
Turin Form & Record Check
Turin’s 2-0 win over Lazio was something of a perfect first chapter for D’Aversa: Simeone gave them the lead, Zapata added another after the break. It came at the right time, because their run in the league had been clearly downward, including a heavy 3-0 defeat in Genoa and a 2-1 home defeat against Bologna. Even the 2-2 draw at Fiorentina felt more like a game they had to survive rather than control. What’s turning the tide: Against Lazio, it wasn’t just the strikers who made the difference, the midfield also looked noticeably more solid, with Prati standing out for his influence. Nevertheless, this team continues to concede goals regularly, and away from home, there is little room for error, especially when Aboukhlal is not yet fully ready to make his contribution. With Cagliari level on points and Genoa three points behind, pragmatism is likely to be the deciding factor in Naples.
There is much to suggest that D’Aversa will stick with the 3-4-1-2 formation that worked so well in his debut, with Paleari behind a back three of Coco, Ismajli, and Ebosse. Lazaro and Obrador will provide width as wingbacks, while Prati and Gineitis will set the pace in the center. The key figure is Vlašić, who will float freely behind the duo of Simeone and Zapata. Against the ball, the whole thing could fall back into a 5-3-2 to secure the penalty area. In terms of personnel, the main problem is on the wings, with Aboukhlal out with a bruised knee and Savva still sidelined after knee surgery. That should keep the strike duo fairly close together and shift more creative responsibility to Vlašić and the wingbacks. From the bench, Adams or Ilić seem most likely to be the adjustment options if a different rhythm is needed.
Napoli – Turin Head-to-head comparison & statistics
The last five encounters have been perfectly balanced in terms of results, with two wins and one draw each, and the most recent one in October 2025 went to Turin again, 1-0 at home. Napoli responded in April 2025 with a controlled 2-0 win at the Maradona, and they also won 1-0 away in 2024. The other two games in 2024 were a 1-1 draw in Naples and a 3-0 win for Turin. The more telling pattern is how rarely this fixture turns into a goal fest: the total number of goals over 90 minutes has remained below 3.5 in all five games, and the first half has often been tight too, with under 1.5 goals in three consecutive games. Even after the break, both teams tend to tighten the reins rather than open up. That speaks for patience when Napoli pushes the game into the opponent’s half but doesn’t get through immediately, and it keeps a draw in the running longer than the table suggests.
