Napoli have an opportunity to close the girone andata with 50 points, but it won’t be easy in a Campano derby against a Salernitana side who are eager to bounce back from their worst loss of the season.
US Salernitana
Salernitana are currently experiencing their worst stretch of form this season. After starting the 2022/23 campaign with four wins, five draws and four losses – good enough for 9th in the table through 13 rounds – the Granata have earned only one point in their last five matches. That run cultimated with an 8-2 defeat to Atalanta and the subsequent sacking of coach Davide Nicola. However, after pleading with Napoletano owner Danilo Iervolino, Nicola was reinstated only 48 hours later.
SSC Napoli
Only four days after a historic 5-1 victory over bitter rivals Juventus, Napoli were eliminated from the Coppa Italia by Cremonese, the only winless club in Serie A. Though Napoli could have had a relatively easy run to the cup final, they won’t mind having potentially four fewer matches to play in a very congested season. Luciano Spalletti will also use the defeat to keep the club grounded, as the result demonstrated what can happen when the players don’t give 100% on the field.
Injuries/Suspensions
Salernitana are managing numerous injuries at the moment. Goalkeeper Luigi Sepe remains sidelined with a calf injury. Central defender Dylan Bronn did not suit up for the Atalanta match due to a thigh muscle injury. Another centre back, Federico Fazio, was diagnosed with a calf strain after the Atalanta match and is expected to be out for 3-4 weeks.
Right wingback, Pasquale Mazzocchi continues to recover from a torn ACL while Ivan Radovanovic is expected to miss the Napoli match due to illness. Giulio Maggiore also remains on the recovery table due to a left quad strain.
For Napoli, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will miss his second consecutive match with the flu. Meanwhile, Juan Jesus has been ruled out after suffering a blunt force trauma in training on Friday.
Probable Formations
Manager’s Comments
Davide Nicola:
“We have to start again from the awareness that we need to have another competitive spirit and demonstrate that we have responsibility. Our work must be our priority, we need to have zero chatter and demonstrate that we have another temperament because we need that to do well. Napoli are a team with great qualities but tomorrow the most important thing is to put ourselves in a position to play a match that has a high competitive tone and demonstrate that we have the personality to handle some situations dictated by their quality.”
Luciano Spalletti:
“I’m please to find Nicola on the bench again, I respect him as a man and as a coach. I’m pleased that he’s there even if it will be one more complication. Then the match will have two thousand difficulties, of all kinds. A touch match awaits us in a fiery stadium. But for what our path must be, for what dreams we have, we cannot choose what kind of match to face, training to do well or badly. With the opportunity we have before us, we can no longer choose anything. We go to face what is presented to us, in any way. We must be ready for what the opponent’s determination will be in making the match. From the point of view of awareness and quality, tactics and technique, we need to put our weapons and our characteristics into play. As far as the fight for the city is concerned, you have to act like this in matches as well.”
Previous Meetings
| Date | SSC Napoli | 4-1 | US Salernitana |
| Date | US Salernitana | 0-1 | SSC Napoli |
| Date | SSC Napoli | 3-0 | US Salernitana |
| Date | SSC Napoli | 3-1 | US Salernitana |
| Date | US Salernitana | 0-0 | SSC Napoli |
Match Officials
Head Official: Daniele Chiffi
Assistants: Gamal Mokhtar and Domenico Palermo
Fourth Official: Manuel Volpi
VAR: Luigi Nasca and Davide Massa
