Napoli face the first big test of their title credentials as they travel to champions AC Milan for a Serie A fixture on Sunday. Level on points at the top of the table, both teams appear evenly matched with nothing to separate them at the moment.
AC Milan continue to improve as the season progresses and have remained unbeaten across all competitions so far. They have come through a few big tests already with the 3-2 victory over Inter Milan underlining their title credentials.
The Rossoneri warmed up for the visit of Napoli with a 3-1 victory over Dinamo Zagreb in a midweek Champions League fixture. They also claimed a 2-1 victory at Sampdoria in their previous Serie A outing with Olivier Giroud on target in both matches.
One thing that has been pivotal to AC Milan’s resurgence in recent years is their fine record at the San Siro. Stefano Pioli’s men have won their last seven home matches, a run that includes victories over the likes of Fiorentina, Atalanta and Inter Milan.
Napoli have also made an impressive start to the season and like AC Milan, are unbeaten across all competitions so far. They are currently level on 14 points with the Rossoneri but sit top of the table due to a superior goal difference.
Things appear to be getting better for Napoli, who are currently on a four-match winning run across all competitions. Luciano Spalletti’s men were made to work hard before claiming a 1-0 victory over Spezia but returned to their best form in the Champions League as they won 3-0 at Rangers.
The victory over Rangers highlights an impressive record on the road for Napoli in recent times. The Neapolitans have lost just once in their last 10 away matches across all competitions, claiming eight wins in that run.
How the bookies view it
AC Milan have the edge among the bookies and are priced at 11/9 by SBK to claim the win. A victory for Napoli is priced at 5/2 by BetVictor while a draw is set at odds of 5/2 by Unibet.
Recent head to head
The last six meetings between AC Milan and Napoli have been evenly split with both teams claiming two wins each and playing out two draws. Each win has surprisingly been away from home with Milan winning 1-0 in Naples last season while Partenopei claimed a similar result at the San Siro.
Players to watch
Rafael Leao is suspended for AC Milan, so Olivier Giroud will be the one to watch on Sunday. The French striker has three goals in his last four matches and is priced at 9/5 by Unibet to score anytime.
With Victor Osimhen still out injured, Giacomo Raspadori has begun to find his feet at Napoli. The forward has found the net in his last two matches and is priced at 7/2 by bet365 to maintain his scoring run.
Anything else catch the eye?
Given the attacking quality expected to be on display in this one, both teams could be backed to score at 10/13 with SBK. Over 2.5 goals can also be considered at 10/11 by bet365 while BetVictor is offering odds of 23/10 for over 3.5 goals.
There have been second half goals for both teams in AC Milan’s last two matches and Sunday’s clash could be tipped to follow a similar pattern at 9/4 with bet365.
This Serie A match between AC Milan and Napoli will be played on Sep 18, 2022 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best AC Milan vs Napoli prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
