In what is touted to be a mouthwatering top-of-the-table clash, Inter prepare the step foot in the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona to face title rivals Napoli. This is will be the Nerazzurri’s third of four testing matches in a row, having already faced Derby della Madonnina counterparts Milan and Jose Mourinho’s Roma the past week. The encounter against Napoli comes days before Simone Inzaghi’s men meet Liverpool in the Champions League Round of 16 first leg at Giuseppe Meazza.
Luciano Spalletti and co. will host Inter for the 152nd encounter between the duo. In the previous 151 matches in the league, the Nerazzurri lead with 68 victories to the Partenopei’s 46. The rest 37 have ended in draws.
Napoli have the chance to close in Inter’s head-to-head win record, given their impressive 21st century home form of going 14 league games unbeaten of the 15 they have hosted the Milan giants. They can subsequently overtake them on top of the league, atleast momentarily, since the Nerazzurri have played a game less than their counterparts.
Inter on the other hand, have found the net in each of their last seven Serie A games against Napoli – their longest such run in the competition against them since October 2000.
Napoli sit sandwiched between league leaders Inter and third-placed Milan, with all three teams separated by just one point at top of league standings. The clash might just prove to be instrumental in the final league table, as Inter have already been handed a jolt by Milan with the narrow 2-1 defeat last week.