Napoli vs AS Roma
Third hosts fifth in a tantalising Serie A tussle on Sunday when Antonio Conte’s Napoli host Gian Piero Gasperini’s AS Roma at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
I Partenopei are looking for a third consecutive league win, while Roma are hoping to make it back-to-back victories, and the Serie A top four race is bubbling up nicely, with Juventus in fourth and Como still in the hunt in sixth. Not so long ago, Napoli had their eyes on the Scudetto again, but a sticky run of results has left them nine points behind leaders Inter Milan, and the latest Serie A 2026 betting odds say Conte’s men will finish exactly where they are now.
Roma made a fast start to the campaign, but a 2-0 win over Cagliari last week followed on from a loss and a draw, and I Giallorossi will be keen not to lose momentum at this crucial point in their campaign. And Gasperini’s men will have a battle royale to unseat Juventus, who currently occupy that coveted fourth place.
Napoli were in Coppa Italia action on Tuesday night and crashed out of the quarter-finals to Como on penalties, and Conte will look for a reaction on Sunday.
Talking Points
Napoli’s desk is pretty clear
I Partenopei have suddenly become rather less busy since the turn of the year. They were dumped out of the Champions League at the league stage and then, on Tuesday, Conte’s men suffered a shock defeat in the Coppa Italia to Como. Cesc Fabregas’ team won on penalties after Antonio Vergara had equalised for Napoli following Martin Baturina’s early goals for Como.
After a flat first half for the hosts, they woke up after the break but didn’t do enough to win in normal time. And when the hugely experienced duo of Romelu Lukaku and Stanislav Lobotka missed their shootout penalties, the game was up.
So the reigning Serie A champions just have the bread and butter of league football to concentrate on, and they will hope Scott McTominay is fit to face Roma on Saturday. The 2025 Player of the Year missed the Como match, the first game he’s sat out since October, and Napoli will make a late check on him to see if the Scot’s hamstring niggle has cleared up.
The top and bottom of Napoli’s situation is that their Serie A 2026 results have not been good enough. But the Scudetto race and top four tussle is all they have to work on now, and that might well focus the minds of the players, with some help from Conte.
Malen is loving life in Rome
After scoring just two goals in their previous three games, I Giallorossi beat Cagliari 2-0 on Monday, thanks to a brace from the on-loan Donyell Malen. The Netherlands star has struggled to establish himself in the Premier League following his switch from Borussia Dortmund a year ago, often starting on the bench for the Villans, scoring seven goals in 35 games.
He already has three from four matches for Roma, scoring against Torino on his debut last month, and his well-taken brace against Cagliari delighted Gasperini, who said: “I’m convinced he’s a top player. We have to make sure we help him and give him the right service. He’s a difficult player to contain with such a vast repertoire.”
I Giallorossi signed the 27-year-old on loan with a fee of £1.7 million, and they have an option to buy. It’s so far so good for Malen, and he’s certainly made a bigger impact than Roma’s other Premier League loanee, Evan Ferguson, who has scored just three in 16 since his arrival from Brighton.
History
Napoli have won 16 to 15 of their last 41 encounters with Roma and have nine wins to six at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. I Partenopei picked up a 1-0 win in Rome this season and won by the same score in Naples last term.
In terms of recent form, Napoli have won two, drawn two, and lost two of the last six games, in all competitions, while AS Roma have won three, drawn two, and lost one.
Betting Tip
Roma are at SBOTOP odds of 3.03 to win this clash, with the draw at 2.92, and Gasperini’s men will arrive in Naples to meet a team that has suffered a dip in form since the turn of the year.
But Conte is a master tactician in the big games, and he will have his team ready for this six-pointer.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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