Juventus vs. Napoli – Serie A Showdown Match Preview
Napoli visit Juventus on January 25 in one of the biggest games of the season in Italy, so what to expect on Antonio Conte’s return to the Allianz Stadium?
The rivalry between Napoli and Juventus is one of the most heated ones in Italian football and, in just a few days, the Bianconeri and Partenopei will meet at the Allianz Stadium in Turin.
Juventus vs. Napoli – team news
Currently, just two points divide the two teams in the Serie A table, but the Partenopei have a game in hand. Before their next meeting, Juventus will play two other league matches and one in the Champions League, while Napoli will play three times in Serie A and once in Europe’s elite competition.
Fatigue and strength of schedule are two factors that are often considered when it comes to football betting online, and Napoli have had few chances to rotate in recent weeks, especially in central midfield, with several key players out of action.
Kevin De Bruyne won’t return to the pitch before March 2026, while Billy Gilmour and Frank Zambo Anguissa have nearly completed their recovery after two months on the sidelines. At the same time, Romelu Lukaku hasn’t yet made a single appearance for Napoli this season due to an injury he suffered in August.
Juventus, on the other hand, are without Dusan Vlahovic and Federico Gatti. Vlahovic’s injury means Jonathan David and Lois Openda will battle it out for a starting spot in attack.
Juventus and Napoli already met in December when the Partenopei secured a 2-1 win at the Stadio Maradona. To date, that’s the only defeat of Luciano Spalletti since he accepted the Juventus job in October.
Spalletti vs. Conte
The matchup between Spalletti and Conte is also an intriguing one.
Spalletti won the Serie A title at Napoli in 2022-23, bringing the Scudetto back to the club after 33 years. Conte, on the other hand, is a Juventus legend, having won several trophies in Turin as a footballer and as a coach.
In a recent interview, Conte said Napoli are still not at the highest level of Italian football as northern giants Juventus, Inter and Milan have better infrastructures.
That was seen as an attempt to put pressure on Napoli’s title rivals, but Spalletti delivered a surprising reply, agreeing with his colleague.
“Conte is right. From a technical point of view, I have nothing to envy about his team,” Spalletti said earlier in January.
“From a structural point of view, he’s right again. When I arrived at Juve, I found the wall of free kicks moving, whereas at Napoli it was static, so we are also ahead from a structural standpoint.”