Napoli vs Torino – News and Probable Lineups

The current Serie A champions, Napoli, will strive to secure a position in the top four this Friday evening as they host Torino at Stadio Maradona.

With their title defense effectively finished, the Partenopei must fend off several challengers for Champions League qualification; on the other hand, Toro is still fighting against relegation.

Match overview

Having dropped to a distant third in the standings, Napoli has left both Milan teams to contend for this season’s Scudetto, directing their attention to clinching a spot in the final top four.

Antonio Conte’s injury-stricken squad is lagging 14 points behind dominant league leaders Inter de Milão, having also been eliminated from both the Champions League and Coppa Italia before reaching the later rounds.

In their most recent match, the Partenopei rebounded from a defeat to fellow Champions League contenders Atalanta by overcoming Serie B-bound Hellas Verona – a victory that required a last-minute goal.

Despite a long injury layoff, Romelu Lukaku has had limited involvement since rejoining the team, but his latest outing was sufficient to secure a 2-1 away triumph.

Conte will be worried, though, as his side has gone nine matches without a clean sheet in all competitions, while several other clubs are closing in on them.

With 11 rounds still to play, fourth-placed Roma are just two points away, with Juventus, Como, and Atalanta still in the mix.

Nevertheless, Napoli should hold confidence for this rare Friday night match: they are undefeated in Serie A home games this season and have lost just once in their last 17 encounters with Torino at the Maradona.

In reality, Toro has managed to take just one point from their last four trips, but having achieved a victory in the earlier fixture 1-0, they could attempt to complete their first double over Napoli since 2009.

Amid their battle to remain in the top division, the Turin team began a new chapter under fresh management last week, as Roberto D’Aversa made a perfect start as head coach.

Giovanni Simeone and Duvan Zapata both found the net against a club also entangled in a conflict between their supporters and management, as Torino won 2-0 against Lazio.

This match was another home fixture conducted in front of nearly empty stands, with fans continuing protests against Urbano Cairo’s presidency, prompting Toro to potentially welcome a long trip south to Naples.

D’Aversa, on a short-term contract, has the challenge of keeping the club afloat in Serie A, and they currently sit six points above the relegation zone.

The former Lecce boss could be the first Torino manager to win his first two top-flight matches since 1981 – but must outwit Conte to achieve this feat.

Team News

Just as Napoli received some rare positive updates regarding injuries – with Frank Anguissa, Scott McTominay, and Kevin De Bruyne all back in full training – midfielder Stanislav Lobotka may be sidelined for Friday’s match.

While the Slovak star is considered doubtful due to a muscle concern, David Neres, Amir Rrahmani, and captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo remain confirmed absentees.

After scoring an early goal against Verona, Rasmus Hojlund now requires just one more goal to reach double figures in Serie A this season; Lukaku, back on the scoresheet last week, has a history of nine goal contributions against Torino.

On the other hand, Torino’s attack should be spearheaded by Napoli loanee Simeone, who scored the decisive goal in the earlier fixture and was understandably hesitant to celebrate.

Following his goal against Lazio, the Argentine forward is one away from achieving 100 Serie A goal involvements; he is likely to continue partnering club captain Zapata, who has previous experience at Napoli.

In contrast to Conte, D’Aversa might have his full squad available: Tino Anjorin and Che Adams have recently come back from injuries, Emirhan Ilkhan has completed his suspension, leaving only Zakaria Aboukhlal’s status uncertain.

Napoli probable starting XI:

Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Good morning, Jesus; Politano, Lobotka, Elmas, Spinazzola; Vergara, Alisson; Hojlund

Torino probable starting XI:

Paleari; Coco, Ismajli, Ebosse; Lazaro, Vlasic, Prati, Casadei, Obrador; Simeone, Zapata

Amid injuries and changes in the squad and formation, Napoli has appeared more vulnerable in recent months, which means they might not secure an easy victory.

While Torino showed resilience last week, winning at the Maradona remains a significant challenge, and they are likely to struggle to close the evident gap in quality.