Preview: Como vs Napoli - prediction, team news, lineups

Defeat would see Napoli's title defence formally ended on Saturday evening, when the reigning Serie A champions visit Como at Stadio Sinigaglia.

Lagging 10 points behind Inter Milan with just four games remaining, the visitors are resigned to passing on the Scudetto sooner or later; meanwhile, their hosts are in the thick of a tight top-four fight.

Match preview

After losing their long Serie A unbeaten streak at Stadio Maradona, going down 2-0 to Lazio at their Campanian headquarters, Napoli produced an emphatic response in their final April fixture.

Scott McTominay's superb early strike was followed by three goals in a 10-minute cluster either side of half time, and a comfortable 4-0 home win over Cremonese moved the Azzurri two points clear of third-placed AC Milan.

The pair are surely vying to finish runners-up behind league leaders Inter, who have been champions-elect for quite a while and may finally be crowned this weekend.

Having faltered at just the wrong time - after reeling off five consecutive wins had made Inter blink - Napoli's main aim now is to wrap up Champions League qualification.

Antonio Conte will want to do so at the first possible opportunity, and that arrives on Saturday, with a tricky visit to the Sinigaglia.

Including several unsuccessful trips around Europe, Conte's side have already lost nine away games across all competitions this season, representing Napoli's worst record since 2014.

Naturally, that means they must approach Como with caution, and particularly after getting away with a fortunate 0-0 draw in November's reverse fixture.

Como also won last season's league clash at the Sinigaglia, and they prevailed on penalties when the teams recently met for a Coppa Italia quarter-final in Naples.

The Lariani later lost to Inter in a two-legged semi, shortly after suffering a 4-3 Serie A defeat against the same opponents; a subsequent loss to Sassuolo then suggested their wheels may be coming off.

Although the Lombardy club bounced back with a crucial 2-0 victory over Genoa, snapping a four-match winless streak, Champions League qualification is now out of their hands.

Juventus have claimed a three-point lead in the race for fourth place, while Roma are also fighting for a seat at Europe's top table; so, Como cannot afford to slip up.

Even if they fall short, a squad cannily managed by Cesc Fabregas - once a player under Conte when the pair were at Chelsea - has excelled since the turn of the year.

In 2026, only Inter and Napoli have gained more points, while Como are averaging above two goals per game. Furthermore, over the course of the whole season, no team has kept more clean sheets in Europe's top five leagues.

Como Serie A form:

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Como form (all competitions):

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Napoli Serie A form:

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Team News

Napoli expect captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo to make his long-awaited return from injury - having been absent since January - only leaving Romelu Lukaku, David Neres and Antonio Vergara on the sidelines.

Conte is unlikely to tinker with a winning side, so the visitors could even be unchanged, with top scorer Rasmus Hojlund spearheading a 3-4-2-1 formation.

While Hojlund has found the net 10 times since returning to Italy's top flight, one of his former Manchester United teammates now has nine for the season.

Having recently scored in three consecutive Serie A away games, McTominay could become the first midfielder this century to reach four in a row.

Meanwhile, Como's attack is usually led by Tasos Douvikas and Nico Paz, both of whom have netted a dozen league goals - only Capocannoniere leader Lautaro Martinez (16) has more.

Nico Kuhn and Jesus Rodriguez are also in contention, but Martin Baturina and Assane Diao remain favourites to complete a potent front line.

As Mergim Vojvoda and Sergi Roberto have both resumed full training, Jayden Addai is the last man remaining on the hosts' absence list.

Como possible starting lineup:

Butez; Smolcic, Ramon, Kempf, Valle; Perrone, Da Cunha; Diao, Paz, Baturina; Douvikas

Napoli possible starting lineup:

Milinkovic-Savic; Olivera, Rrahmani, Buongiorno; Politano, Lobotka, McTominay, Gutierrez; De Bruyne, Alisson; Hojlund

We say: Como 2-1 Napoli

Como can boost their Champions League hopes and get the party started in Milan, with victory for the Lariani also confirming Inter's coronation.

While they swept aside lowly opponents on home turf last time out, Napoli's away form has been very patchy - and Conte may be outmanoeuvered by his former player Fabregas.

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