Naples vs AC Milan – News and Probable Lineups

In a contest for second place in Serie A, football powerhouses Napoli and AC Milan will meet at Stadio Maradona on Monday evening.

With only one point separating them, both teams still harbor ambitions of seizing the Scudetto; however, a loss would severely undermine their chances of catching Inter de Milão.

Match overview

After a dismal beginning to 2026, Napoli returned to form right before the international break, achieving four consecutive Serie A victories—marking their first such streak since September.

After a disappointing exit from European competitions and a stumbled title defense, the Partenopei appear to be regaining their momentum as the season progresses.

In their last outing, they secured a 1-0 victory against Cagliari, achieving their first clean sheet in 11 attempts—a rarity for an Antonio Conte-managed squad—and reduced the gap to league leaders Inter to seven points.

While they remain in contention for the Scudetto, Conte’s players are also being cautious of rivals Como, Roma, and Juventus in the Champions League race.

Napoli maintains an eight-point cushion over fifth-placed Juventus, with eight matches left to play, though Conte is likely to remain vigilant.

Before welcoming Milan on Monday, his squad is still undefeated in Serie A home fixtures this season—an unbeaten run that stretches back to December 2024.

With 10 victories out of 14 at the Maradona thus far, only title favorites Inter have garnered more points at home, and they recently outperformed Milan in the Supercoppa Italiana final.

In contrast, the Rossoneri achieved victory in the reverse clash in September and have only lost once in their last six trips to Naples.

Notably, Milan handed Napoli their most severe Serie A home defeat in 25 years—a 4-0 loss in April 2023—and eliminated them from the Champions League in the same spring.

Moreover, Max Allegri’s squad has not participated in any European competition this season, potentially benefiting their unexpected title charge.

Following a thrilling 3-2 victory over Torino at San Siro prior to the break, they currently sit second in the standings, trailing city rivals Inter by six points.

Last month’s derby win has reopened the Scudetto title race; however, Milan must perform flawlessly until the season’s conclusion: despite suffering only three league defeats this season, two have occurred in their last five games.

With nine away wins, only Inter has scored more frequently or acquired more points in away fixtures, and Allegri’s well-organized side has also let in the least number of away goals this season.

However, Monday’s fixture in Campania presents a formidable challenge, and Allegri has secured just three victories in 11 encounters against Conte.

Team News

Despite two weeks passing, Napoli remains without Romelu Lukaku, David Neres, Amir Rrahmani, Antonio Vergara, and captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo due to injuries, although several key players returned before the break.

Since Kevin De Bruyne’s return, the Partenopei have maintained a perfect record; their win percentage had declined by 25% in his absence. Including a penalty in the previous match against Milan, the Belgian playmaker has netted 99 goals in Europe’s top five leagues, leaving him just one shy of the century mark.

Meanwhile, Scott McTominay is only one goal involvement away from reaching 50 across the Premier League and Serie A, following his winning goal against Cagliari.

With Lukaku absent, Rasmus Hojlund continues to spearhead the attack for the hosts, while Milan may field their key strikers together: Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic, having scored nine and eight league goals respectively.

However, Christopher Nkunku, Niclas Fullkrug, and returning Mexico striker Santiago Gimenez are also in contention.

As Ruben Loftus-Cheek has now recovered from a severe facial injury, only Matteo Gabbia is unfit; starting from a familiar 3-5-2 formation, captain Mike Maignan is poised to make his 150th Serie A appearance.

Napoli probable starting XI:

Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Good morning, Jesus; Politano, Anguissa, Lobotka, Spinazzola; McTominay, De Bruyne; Hojlund

AC Milan probable starting XI:

Maignan; Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Pulisic, Leao

No matter the outcome in Naples, this fixture will remain undecided until the final whistle: Milan (14) and Napoli (12) have accumulated the highest points from losing positions in Serie A thus far.

More often than not, these comebacks have taken place during the final 15 minutes, making a late goal potentially decisive in this important clash—Napoli’s outstanding home record suggests they may have the upper hand.