YIBADA

Serie A 2016-2017: Napoli vs Inter Milan, Preview, Prediction & Predicted Lineup

| Dec 01, 2016 08:39 PM EST

Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi.

Struggling contenders SSC Napoli (7-3-4, 25 points) and Inter Milan (6-5-3, 21 points) are set to face one another at the San Paolo Stadium on Friday, Dec. 2 as round 15 competitions of the 2016-2017 Serie A season commences.

Start Time and Streaming Info

The game starts at 2:45 p.m. ET. It can be viewed live online thru FuboTV.

Napoli has been reeling as of late with three winless games in the last four rounds. The team has slid to the seventh spot of the current league table as a result, tied on points with sixth-place squad Torino.

They are also three points below Lazio and Atalanta, who both hold the two Europa League qualifying berths for next season.

Napoli was held to a 1-1 draw by lowly club Sassuolo on Monday also at their home field of San Paolo Stadium, as per ESPN.

Head coach Maurizio Sarri's squad opened the scoring in the 42nd minute with a right-footer from Italian striker Lorenzo Insigne off an assist from team captain Marek Hamsik.

However, Sassuolo managed to equalize the contest with a left-footed shot by French forward Gregoire Defrel from a cross by defender Marcello Gazzola to force the draw and the share of a point in the overall standings.

Meanwhile, Inter Milan continues to play inconsistently in the past few rounds. However, they managed to win three of their last six matches to settle at the eighth spot of the league table, four points below Napoli.

I Nerazzurri turned back fellow contenders Fiorentina, 4-2, in a high-scoring affair at their home ground of Giuseppe Meazza Stadium also on Monday, Goal reported.

Argentine striker Mauro Icardi was the man of the match for head coach Stefano Pioli as he scored a brace to lead the team.

Inter zoomed early to a 3-0 lead with goals by Marcelo Brozovic, Antonio Candreva, and Icardi in the third, ninth, and 19th minutes respectively.

Viola was able to put themselves on the board in the 37th minute with a goal from Croatian forward Nikola Kalinic, but their comeback attempt was extinguished when team captain Gonzalo Rodriguez was sent off in the first-half injury time.

Slovenian midfielder Josip Ilicic managed to make it 3-2 with a left-footer in the 62nd, but Icardi sealed the win in stoppage time for the final count.

Prediction and Predicted Lineup

The predicted result is a close 1-0 win for Inter Milan.

Napoli starting lineup (4-3-3 formation): Reina; Soderlund, Chiriches, Koulibaly, Strinic; Allan, Jorginho, Hamsik; Callejon, Gabbiadini, Insigne

Inter Milan starting lineup (4-2-3-1 formation): Handanovic; D'Ambrosio, Ranocchia, Miranda, Ansaldi; Brozovic, Kondogbia; Candreva, Banega, Perisic; Icardi 

Related News

Most Popular

EDITOR'S PICK