Overview
3 consecutive draws caused Napoli to lose their advantage in the race to defend the Serie A throne. When Inter took the lead and the opponents behind pressed, Antonio Conte's team was forced to beat Sassuolo to avoid falling into a passive position in the middle of the season.
After being held to a draw by Hellas Verona at home, and then struggling to win points against Inter, Napoli continued to disappoint when they could not penetrate Parma's defense in the most recent round. The 0-0 draw at Diego Armando Maradona stadium took place in the context of Conte being sent off and only being able to watch from the stands.
Rare opportunities passed in regret, and the result immediately brought consequences. A few hours later, Inter took full advantage of the opponent's slip to widen the gap to 2 points in the Serie A standings.
Not only losing the right to self-determination in the championship race, Napoli now also has to look back. Juventus and Roma are only one point behind Partenopei, turning any subsequent mistakes into risks that could pay a very heavy price.
Amidst that pressure, Napoli's biggest support is still the Maradona stadium. The blue team is on a 20-match unbeaten streak at home, the last time they succumbed in Naples was more than a year ago. If there is still hope of defending the Scudetto, this fortress must continue to stand firm.
This weekend, Sassuolo is the next team to travel to Campania, before Napoli enters an important away match at Copenhagen in the Champions League.
On the away team side, Sassuolo once surprised when returning to Serie A as the Serie B champion. The early stage of the season witnessed Fabio Grosso's team rise to the top half of the rankings, bringing the feeling of a newcomer full of discomfort.
However, that upward momentum is slowing down. Sassuolo has only won 3 points in the last 6 rounds and lost all 2 recent matches. The 0-2 defeat to Roma caused Neroverdi to drop to 11th place, although still maintaining a safe distance from the relegation group.
Since the international holiday in November, Sassuolo's only victory in Serie A has been against Fiorentina - a team that is also struggling with relegation. That is clearly not a strong enough baggage for the away match at one of Italy's most fearsome stadiums.
Head-to-head history makes the challenge even heavier. After a 0-2 defeat in the opening round of the season, Sassuolo has gone through 8 consecutive matches without winning against Napoli, the last time they defeated this opponent was more than 4 years ago.
In the context of Inter accelerating, Juventus and Roma approaching, and the Champions League waiting ahead, Napoli understands that they do not have much room for hesitation.
A victory not only helps Conte's team maintain their position in the leading group, but also confirms that the Scudetto race this season has not yet left the hands of the Naples team.
Personnel situation
Antonio Conte is expected to make personnel adjustments after the midweek draw, especially on the two wings - where Napoli once swapped positions in an effort to find breakthroughs.
David Neres was brought on in the second half but was quickly withdrawn, and the possibility of the Brazilian player playing this weekend is still uncertain due to fitness issues.
However, the situation on Sassuolo's side is even more difficult. Fabio Grosso's team has just suffered another major loss when Fali Cande suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury and will definitely have to rest for a long time.
Expected lineup:
Milinkovic-Savic, Beukema, Rrahmani, Jesus, Di Lorenzo, Lobotka, McTominay, Spinazzola, Politano, Elmas, Hojlund.
Muric, Walukiewicz, Idzes, Muharemovic, Doig, Lipani, Matic, Kone, Fadera, Pinamonti, Lauriente.
The match between Napoli and Sassuolo takes place at 0:00 AM on January 18 (Vietnam time).
