A single point for Napoli would secure the Partenopei’s place in the knockout stage, while Ajax fight to keep their Champions League hopes alive.
SSC Napoli
Napoli are currently one of the most in-form teams in Europe. The 1-4 victory over Cremonese was the Azzurri’s 8th consecutive victory in all competitions – a first in the club’s history. With Atalanta’s draw to Udinese, Napoli took sole possession of first place in Serie A.
Despite missing star striker Victor Osimhen, goal-scoring has not been an issue. Napoli lead all of Serie A with 22 goals scored and all of the UEFA Champions League with 13 goals scored.
AFC Ajax
Ajax got back to winning ways with a 2-4 victory over bottom-of-the-table FC Volendam on Saturday. Alfred Schreuder showed faith in his squad, starting the same starting XI that lost 6-1 to Napoli.
That victory ended a 4-match winless streak, including losses to Liverpool and Napoli in the Champions League. Nevertheless, Ajax remain only one point behind AZ Alkmaar in the Eredivisie table.
Injuries/Suspensions
Victor Osimhen is back in the squad after recovering from a thigh injury. Meanwhile, Amir Rrahmani has been sidelined for the foreseeable future with a thigh injury of his own.
Dusan Tadic is suspended for this match after receiving two yellow cards in the previous meeting. Ahmetcan Kaplan is out with an ACL injury and Devyne Rensch is out with a groin injury. Meanwhile, Jorge Sanchez is expected to be back in the squad.
Probable Formations
Manager’s Comments
Luciano Spalletti:
“Tomorrow we will play the qualification at the Maradona with the stadium full. We know what their reaction will be based on the 6-1 of the first leg. It is involuntary to think about what they will want to do. Given the will of the opponent and what we have in front of us, we must interpret it as if it were a final, and to put into it all the attitude full of desire and hunger that we play with in a final.”
Alfred Schreuder:
“If you win 4-1 at home against Liverpool and are first in Serie A, it means that Napoli have a strong team…I was expecting this Napoli, they have an excellent team with strong players and Kvaratskhelia dominated.”
Previous Meetings
| October 4, 2022 | AFC Ajax | 1-6 | SSC Napoli |
| January 21, 1970 (Fairs Cup) | AFC Ajax | 4-0 AET | SSC Napoli |
| December 10, 1969 | SSC Napoli | 1-0 | AFC Ajax |
Match Officials
Head Official: Felix Zwayer
Assistants: Stefan Lupp and Marco Achmüller
Fourth Official: Sven Jablonski
VAR: Harm Osmers and Marco Fritz
