Napoli v Fiorentina: Match history

Fiorentina are preparing for their very important away match against Antonio Conte’s Napoli, scheduled for Saturday. The record is perfectly balanced when it comes to this fixture: out of a total of 151 competitive matches, the teams are even, with 55 wins each and 41 draws.

However, recent history favors the Azzurri: Fiorentina have not beaten Napoli since 2023, when they won 3-1 at the Stadio Maradona. Since then, the two teams have faced off five other times, with four victories for Napoli and only one draw. This trend is the exact opposite of the inertia of the five previous games, in which Fiorentina were far more successful, with two wins, two draws and only one defeat.

The current situation of the two teams is quite similar: in their last seven games, Conte’s team has only earned one point more than Fiorentina. More specifically, Napoli drew with Verona, Inter and Parma, secured a narrow win over Sassuolo and suffered a heavy 0-3 defeat to Juventus. Just like Fiorentina, which was eliminated from the Coppa Italia by Como on Tuesday, Napoli have suffered a recent Champions League defeat to Chelsea: their loss at home to the English team on Wednesday marked the end of the Azzurri’s Champions League campaign.

Fiorentina can once again count on Moise Kean and Fabiano Parisi, who have both recovered from their injuries and will be included in the squad. Roberto Piccoli’s conditions still have to be evaluated. Napoli will have to deal with many injuries. Antonio Conte will not be able to count on various key players: starting with goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, the list goes on with a defense that may still be missing Amir Rrahmani, as well as a decimated midfield, whose absences include Zambo Anguissa, Billy Gilmour and playmaker Kevin De Bruyne. Finally, Napoli’s attack will also have to do without David Neres’s spark and unpredictability; he is joined on the injury list by Matteo Politano.

Despite the long list of absences, the current league champions can still count on very good individual players and on the team’s ability to adapt to the various phases of the game thanks to the tactical adaptability of their coach. The physical intensity and quality of players such as Scott McTominay, combined with Antonio Vergara’s freshness, will require a top-level performance from Fiorentina to conquer the Maradona once again.