Napoli travel to Turin to face double winners Juventus on Saturday evening with the knowledge that only a victory would be enough to exert pressure on their Roman rivals for the Champions League spots.
The Partenopei currently sit fourth, just three points behind Lazio and four behind Roma ahead of their derby meeting on Monday. However, with this clash coming a couple of days before, Napoli would be able to climb up to third with a victory.
Both sides will enter the game in impressive form having won four of their last six Serie A matches, though Rafael Benitez’s best results have generally come at the Stadio San Paolo.
This will be the 138th meeting between the two and the Bianconeri hold a heavy lead in the overall victories, with 62 to Napoli’s 29; a difference that is even more pronounced in games in Turin. The Partenopei have only won seven away games against Juventus – most recently in 2009, but more than half of those victories came before 1960.
Indeed, Massimiliano Allegri’s side have lost just once in the last eight games against Napoli, who have yet to register a goal in their three visits to the Juventus Stadium to date, though have conceded eight.
Leonardo Bonucci enters the game on the verge of a personal landmark, needing just one more Serie A appearance to reach 200; 160 of those games have been for the Bianconeri, along with 38 for Bari and a single game – and single minute – for Inter at the start of his career.
With Carlos Tevez likely to sit this game out in order to ensure he is primed and ready for the Champions League final, Allegri may well look to Alessandro Matri for goals; he has yet to net in Serie A since his return from Genoa, though his next goal will be his 80th in Serie A. Kingsley Coman is also an option.
Stephan Lichtsteiner suspended for the hosts, and with Allegri set to name a much changed line-up that could see Luca Marrone make his first Serie A appearance of the season. Simone Pepe, Paolo De Ceglie and Angelo Ogbonna are also expected to start.
Kalidou Koulibaly will be absent for Benitez’s side through suspenson, who will also be without Michu, Camilo Zuniga and Jonathan De Guzman, all of who will miss the last couple of games through injury.
Form Guide: Juventus (W-D-W-W-L-W), Napoli (W-D-W-L-W-W)
Expected Starting XIs
Juventus: Storari; Padion, Marrona, Ogbonna, De Ceglie; Sturaro, Marchisio, Pereyra; Pepe; Morata, Coman.
Napoli: Andujar; Maggio, Albiol, Britos, Ghoulam; David Lopez, Inler; Callejon, Hamsik, Mertens; Higuain.
