Overview
Showing their inherent resilient fighting spirit under the leadership of coach Antonio Conte, Napoli made a spectacular comeback to win the final match before the national team training session.
After falling behind as the match was nearing the end at Stadio Maradona, Napoli equalized thanks to Frank Anguissa's close-range header. Rasmus Hojlund then continued his impressive streak with the decisive goal in the 75th minute.
The win came shortly after Napoli picked up their first Champions League win since 2023, when they beat Sporting Lisbon thanks to a brace from Hojlund.
Not accepting defeat, Conte has reason to be relieved as this team regains the winning feeling after a disappointing streak. First against Manchester City in England, then the defeat to AC Milan at San Siro.
Napoli have not lost 3 consecutive away matches since Walter Mazzarri's difficult second term nearly 2 years ago. Therefore, another defeat is unacceptable for them.
In terms of head-to-head record, Napoli have won 8 of their last 10 encounters with Torino in Turin - conceding only 1 goal in the last 6 matches. History shows that they can be completely confident with the 3-point goal.
Since the goalless draw 6 years ago, Torino have won only 1 and lost 4 times against Napoli in Serie A. Therefore, the winning rate will certainly not be on their side, especially given their current form.
New coach Marco Baroni is having a slow start. His team is currently ranked 16th in the Serie A rankings with only 5 points.
So far, Granata have only won one domestic league, conceding an average of more than two goals per game.
Right before the break, Torino had a dramatic 3-3 draw with another former Baroni team in Rome. Che Adams and Saul Coco scored in the last 20 minutes, before Lazio equalized in the final minutes of extra time.
It was the first time this year that Torino have scored three goals in a Serie A game. However, the team currently has the worst defence in the league.
Since last season, Torino have not been able to score in 4 consecutive home matches, a worrying signal before hosting Napoli this weekend.
Personnel situation
Napoli's Stanislav lobotka and Matteo Politano both suffered muscle injuries in the match against Genoa, forcing them to withdraw from the national team training session. However, Politano has recovered in time and is ready to return to play.
Also racing against time to recover, Alessandro Buongiorno has returned to normal training after a period of absence, although the possibility of playing is still open. Meanwhile, centre-back amrits Rrahmani is uncertain to feature.
On the other side of the front line, Torino's Che Adams have just reached the 10-goal mark after scoring against Lazio. However, Adams has only come off the bench in all of Torino's games this season. Marco Baroni still prioritizes using former Napoli striker Giovanni Simeone in the starting position.
Once again, the home team will be without Tino Anjorin, Ardian Ismajli and centre-back Perr Schuurs - who has been out for a long time due to injury.
Expected lineup:
Torino: Israel, Lazaro, Coco, Maripan, Biraghi, Casadei, Asllani, Tameze, Ngonge, Vlasic, Simeone.
Napoli: Meret, Di Lorenzo, Beukema, Jesus, Spinazzola, Gilmour, Neres, Anguissa, De Bruyne, McTominay, Hojlund.
The match between Torino and Napoli takes place at 23:00 on October 18 (Vietnam time).
