The Diego Maradona Stadium is the backdrop for the latest edition of the famous Sol Sol derby between Napoli and Roma. The points gap between the two teams before the start of the game was only three points, and the top four seats were in jeopardy.
Napoli overturned an early deficit to beat bottom-half Genoa last weekend, with Rasmus Hoylund’s 95th-minute penalty giving them a late 3-2 win at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. Antonio Conte’s side have just won back-to-back league matches for the first time in 2026 and will be looking for a statement victory to cement their position at the top of the table.
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Third-ranked Napoli has withdrawn from Serie A. After a 3-2 home victory over Juventus last night, leader Inter Milan is currently 12 points ahead. So the Partenopeans cannot afford to slip up here if they are to keep their slim hopes of retaining the title alive, despite the daunting task ahead.
Roma, who had been without a win in Serie A (1 draw and 1 draw), tied their opponents with a 3-point advantage after defeating Cagliari 2-0 at home. With Juventus dropping points yesterday, Gian Piero Gasperini’s charge could shine a light on their chances of securing a rare derby win against the record-breaking Italian champions.
In fact, Roma have won just one of their last 12 games against Napoli (D4, L7) and suffered a 1-0 defeat at the Stadio Olimpico in November. In order to avoid another disappointing result, Roma will be desperate to solve their motion sickness problem, as they failed to win their last two away games (D1, L1).
Game preview
Naples
In addition to their recent dominant record in this matchup, Napoli are unbeaten in their last seven home games against Roma (4 wins, 3 draws), including a narrow 1-0 win in the corresponding match in 2024/25. The Maradona Stadium has been a fortress this season, with the defending champions remaining one of only two teams yet to lose a Serie A match at home (8 wins, 3 draws).
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Furthermore, Napoli have not lost one of their last 22 home league games (16 wins, 6 draws), so it’s impossible to overtake them for bragging rights today. However, two defeats in the last three home games (W1) have cast doubt on the once impregnable fortress status of the Maradona Stadium.
Despite this, Napoli still have their longest unbeaten home run in the top flight since 1988. With that in mind, Conte should be confident of continuing his strong performance against Roma, which has seen him avoid defeat in his last nine Serie A games against the capital club (five wins, four draws).
Romans
Roma are looking to finish in the top four for the first time since 2017/18 and they cannot settle for just one win here if they want to cement their Champions League qualification. Interestingly, that game eight years ago was the last time they managed 46 points after 24 games, a testament to Gasperini’s excellence at the Stadio Olimpico.
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A rare shortcoming of Gasperini’s early days in charge was that Roma were notoriously poor in high-stakes games. In fact, they are still waiting for their first league win of the season against a top five opponent (D1, L4). For context, no other Serie A team has performed worse in these high-profile encounters.
Although many expected Roma to play attractive football under Gasperini, especially after his outstanding performance in Atalanta, this was not the case. Roma’s average of 1.79 goals per game in the league this season is the lowest in the division, highlighting the possibility of low-goal incidents.
Team news
Napoli will be without the long-term absentees Kevin De Bruyne, Frank Anguissa and Billy Gilmour, as well as captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo. In addition, veteran center back Juan Jesus received a red card against Genoa and must serve a one-match ban. On the plus side, star midfielders Scott McTominay, Romelu Lukaku and Leonardo Spinazzola should be available for Conte.
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On the other hand, Roma coach Gasperini was unable to call upon several first-team stars, including starting center Dov Bik and midfield cornerstone Manu Cone. Veteran defender Mario Hermoso is also out with a hip injury. The same applies to Stephan El-Shaarawy and Evan Ferguson, although Paulo Dybala has reportedly overcome a minor fitness issue.
Napoli vs Roma potential starting lineup
Napoli (3-4-2-1): Milinković-Savic; Bukema, Rachmani, Buongiorno; Politano, Lobotka, McTominay, Spinazzola; Vergara, Elmas; Hojlund.
Roma (3-4-2-1): Sverral; Mancini, Endica, Girardi; Celik, Cristante, Pisilli, Wesley; Sule, Dybala; Mullen.
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Napoli vs Roma Prediction
Given the high-stakes nature of the game, it’s hard to expect either side to take unnecessary risks, which could pave the way for a tight and cautious affair at the Maradona Stadium. With the race for the top four spots so tight, we expect the spoils to be shared in a tough draw.
