Inter v Napoli: how much do you know?

MILAN – With the international break now behind us, it's back into Serie A action this weekend – and a big one awaits Inter. League leaders Napoli visit San Siro Meazza for a 18:00 CET kick-off on Sunday.

PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS

Inter and Napoli have faced off in Serie A 150 times before. The Nerazzurri have won 67, Napoli have won 46 and there have been 37 draws.

Inter are unbeaten in the league against Napoli in the last two seasons, winning three and drawing one. The Azzurri's last league victory over Inter came in Naples in May 2019 (4-1).

The Nerazzurri have found the net in each of their last six league meetings with Napoli, their longest scoring streak against their southern rivals since an eight-game run in 2000.

Napoli meanwhile have failed to score in five of the last eight league fixtures against Inter, netting six in the other three matches.

The Azzurri haven't scored against Inter in their last four trips to San Siro in Serie A (a draw followed by three defeats). Jose Callejon was the last scorer for Napoli in this fixture, back in April 2017. They have never gone five straight games without a goal away to Inter in the league.

Inter have the chance to make it four back-to-back home league wins against Napoli for the first time since 2011. The visitors have triumphed on just one occasion in their last eight trips to San Siro, against both Inter and AC Milan (D4, L3): a 1-0 victory against the Rossoneri in March. 

FORM BOOK

Inter have now scored in each of their last 31 Serie A fixtures – more than any other top-flight team. 

The Nerazzurri are unbeaten in 22 home matches in the league, but have drawn two of their last three (2-2 against Atalanta and 1-1 against Juventus).

In their last four league outings, Simone Inzaghi's side have conceded an average of 0.5 goals per game, after averaging 1.7 in the six previous games.

Napoli are on a 21-match unbeaten run on Serie A, winning 16 and drawing five since losing to Juventus in April 2021. They are five games away from their longest-ever Serie A run without defeat (26), which they set between March and November 2017 with Maurizio Sarri at the helm.

The Azzurri have taken 32 points from the first 12 games of a top-flight league campaign season for just the second time in history, having previously done so in 2017/18 (when they won their 13th).

Napoli have never conceded so few goals (four) in their opening dozen matches in a Serie A season. Since 2010, only two other teams have boasted such a mean defence at this stage: Roma in 2013/14 (three) and Juventus in 2014/15 (four).

GENERAL STATS

Sunday's clash at the Meazza will see the league's best attack (Inter, 29 goals scored) take on the stingiest defence (Napoli, four conceded). 

Inzaghi's men have scored more headers (eight) than anyone else in Serie A this term while the Azzurri are the only team not to have let in any from headers.

No team in the top five European leagues has earned more clean sheets than Luciano Spalletti's men  this year (eight, the same as Real Sociedad). 

Napoli have also enjoyed more total possession (60%) than any other side.

PLAYER FOCUS

Nicolo Barella is one of just four midfielders in the top five European leagues to have provided at least five assists in the current campaign. He is joined by Paul Pogba (seven), Florian Wirtz (six) and Mateo Kovacic (five).

Napoli are one of the four teams that Stefan de Vrij has scored more than one goal against in Serie A (two, both in 4-1 defeats in 2017/18 while at Lazio). Edin Dzeko has plundered four league goals (two doubles) against Napoli but hasn't found the net in his last six meetings with them. Lautaro Martínez has struck three Serie A goals against Napoli.

Arturo Vidal has had a hand in four league goals against Napoli. Excluding goals from penalties, he has a better goal contribution only against Lazio (five) and Inter (five). The Chilean scored the last time he faced the Neapolitans, back in 2015.

Cagliari's Joao Pedro (85) is the only outfield player to have made more Serie A appearances than Lautaro Martínez and Piotr Zielinski (84 each) since the start of the 2019/20 season. No player has played more games for an Italian club in all competitions in the last three seasons than Lautaro (112).

SUSPENDED PLAYERS

Inter: -

Napoli: -

PLAYERS CLOSE TO SUSPENSION

Inter: -

Napoli: Mario Rui, Zambo Anguissa