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Serie A champions Napoli and Coppa Italia holders Inter Milan are set to face off in the Supercoppa Italiana on Monday evening.
Both teams have comfortably won their respective semi-finals, and now they are determined to claim the prestigious title in Riyadh’s Al-Awwal Stadium.
Match Preview:
Napoli showcased a new formation under coach Walter Mazzarri, transitioning from their traditional 4-3-3 setup to a three-man defense.
They defeated last season’s Coppa Italia runners-up Fiorentina in the first-ever Supercoppa semi-final. Giovanni Simeone opened the scoring for Napoli, while substitute Alessio Zerbin sealed the victory with a late brace.
The Partenopei are eager to win the Supercoppa for only the third time in their history, with their last triumph occurring a decade ago.
Napoli’s recent form in all competitions has been inconsistent. After losing four out of six league matches, they managed a last-minute victory against Salernitana, leaving them in the eighth position in Serie A.
Inter Milan, however, has been in excellent form, dominating their opponents in both domestic and European competitions. They recently defeated Lazio in the semi-final with a resounding 3-0 victory.
Team News:
Napoli will be without striker Victor Osimhen and midfielder Frank Anguissa, who are away at the Africa Cup of Nations. Additionally, their first-choice goalkeeper Alex Meret is sidelined due to a hamstring injury.
Coach Mazzarri may opt for a three-man defense or revert back to the more familiar 4-3-3 formation. On the other hand, Inter Milan has no major injury concerns, except for Juan Cuadrado, who is recovering from Achilles surgery.
Possible Lineups:
Napoli: (3-4-3)
Pierluigi Gollini
Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani, Thiago Jesus
Andrea Mazzocchi, Jens Cajuste, Stanislav Lobotka, Mario Rui
Matteo Politano, Giovanni Simeone, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Inter Milan: (3-5-2)
Yann Sommer
Benjamin Pavard, Francesco Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni
Matteo Darmian, Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Federico Dimarco
Marcus Thuram, Lautaro Martinez
Prediction: Napoli 1-2 Inter Milan
While Napoli has shown signs of improvement in their last two matches, Inter’s superior form and attacking prowess make them favorites to claim the title. Simone Inzaghi’s team has been clinical in front of goal while maintaining a solid defense.
