Napoli will travel to the Stadio Olimpico to face Lazio on Sunday at 12:30 CET with the aim of leapfrogging their hosts into third place in Serie A.
Only one point separates the two sides, who sit third and fourth respectively and have scored 33 goals each this season; the second highest in the division.
Lazio go into the game in the better form and are unbeaten in their last six matches, but in that time have lost two-goal leads on two occasions at Inter and most recently last weekend in the Derby della Capitale against Roma, drawing 2-2 in both games.
Napoli on the other hand have won just two of their last seven, including disappointing draws against the likes of Cagliari, Sampdoria and Empoli, and defeats to AC Milan and controversially at home to Juventus last Sunday.
The Partenopei though have the upper hand in previous meetings with Sunday’s opponents, having not been beaten in the last five meetings, including four victories.
Rafa Benitez’s men defeated the Biancocelesti three times last season with frontman Gonzalo Higuain scoring six goals in those matches, including a hat-trick in the 4-2 victory at the Stadio San Paolo in April and two in the corresponding fixture at the Olimpico in December 2013.
The Argentinean international is again Napoli’s big threat this season as the club’s joint top scorer alongside Jose Callejon with nine goals, and both should start again on Sunday afternoon with new signing Manolo Gabbiadini having to settle for a place on the bench.
Dries Mertens and Giandomenico Mesto are likely to replace Jonathan de Guzman and the suspended Miguel Britos in the only two changes from last week’s defeat at the hands of the Old Lady, with Faouzi Ghoulam on African Cup of Nations duty and Juan Zuniga and Michu both doubts for the fixture.
Lazio are expected to name a settled side from that which drew with Roma, though Albanian international Etrit Berisha is set to replace the suspended Federico Marchetti in goal, while star man Felipe Anderson will also miss the match after picking up knee injury that will keep him out for three weeks.
Stefano Pioli will again be without the injured Ederson, Alvaro Gonzalez, Michael Ciani, and Senad Lulic,
Form Guide Lazio (D-W-W-D-W-D) Napoli (D-D-L-W-W-L)
Expected Starting XIs:
Lazio: Berisha, Basta, de Vrij, Cana, Radu, Parolo, Biglia, Candreva, Mauri, Keita, Djordjevic
Napoli: Rafael, Maggio, Koulibaly, Albiol, Mesto, Gargano, Lopez, Callejon, Hamsik, Mertens, Higuain
