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

Continuing their quest for a seventh Coppa Italia, reigning Serie A champions Napoli will clash with Como in Tuesday's third quarter-final.

Fighting it out to meet Inter Milan in the semis, the pair will convene at Stadio Maradona, where the hosts have gone more than a year without defeat in domestic competition.

Match preview

Due to European commitments - which have since been ended by their early Champions League exit - Napoli entered the Coppa Italia at its last-16 stage, ultimately aiming to lift the trophy for the first time in six years.

However, they came within a whisker of being dumped out by Cagliari, only squeezing through after an epic penalty shootout that followed a tense 1-1 draw at Stadio Maradona.

Penalty-saving specialist Vanja Milinkovic-Savic even scored one himself as the Partenopei eventually prevailed 9-8, setting up this week's tie and a potential semi-final against Inter.

Having crashed out of Europe, Antonio Conte can still target a clean sweep of all three domestic trophies as Napoli head coach, following last season's Scudetto and their Supercoppa Italia success in December.

His team have slipped to the fringe of this term's title fight, recently falling behind both Milan clubs, but back-to-back wins have tightened their grip on third place.

After a nervy home victory over Fiorentina, the Serie A champions had to scrape over the line again on Saturday evening, when they paid a visit to Genoa.

Goals from Rasmus Hojlund and Scott McTominay - the latter scoring with his latest eye-catching strike - had overturned an early deficit, before things began to unravel.

At the end of a rollercoaster encounter, Hojlund's last-gasp penalty separated the sides, after McTominay had limped off, Napoli had let their lead slip and then been reduced to 10 men.

Now, seeking a third straight win, Conte's men will return to Naples, where only Chelsea have beaten them since 2024.

While Napoli are six-time winners of Italy's national cup, Como - who saw off Sudtirol and Sassuolo in the opening rounds - have a more modest history and are enjoying their best-ever campaign.

Already contenders for Europe following two years of substantial investment, the Lombardy club are now vying for a top-four finish in Serie A - and their first-ever Coppa Italia.

Head coach Cesc Fabregas had seen his side score 12 times across three straight wins before being frustrated in an incredible clash with Atalanta BC last time out.

After beating Lazio 3-0 in Rome, the Lariani smashed six past Torino, then knocked Fiorentina out of the cup: a 3-1 win in Florence set up this week's trip to Campania.

That momentum was stalled by Atalanta's stern resistance at Stadio Sinigaglia, as Como failed to capitalise on playing 10 men for more than 80 minutes - despite racking up 25 shots and having a 79% share of the ball.

Even when star man Nico Paz was handed a chance to break the deadlock with a stoppage-time penalty, La Dea hero Marco Carnesecchi pulled off yet another save, leaving Como with just one point and Paz in tears.

Following a weekend off - due to their controversial fixture against AC Milan being moved, as San Siro hosted the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics - Fabregas and co will now aim to end Napoli's long unbeaten streak.

They came close to doing so with a 0-0 draw at the Maradona in early November, after both sides had won their home fixture last season.

Napoli Coppa Italia form:

Napoli form (all competitions):

W D L L W W

Como Coppa Italia form:

W W W

Como form (all competitions):

D L W W W D

Team News

With little time to celebrate his 400th managerial win - which was secured in such dramatic circumstances - Conte will be hoping McTominay can recover by Tuesday.

So often Napoli's talisman, the Scottish star was replaced by Giovane midway through Saturday's match, so it remains to be seen if he joins a long injury list.

Long-term absentees Kevin De Bruyne, Frank Anguissa and Billy Gilmour are already alongside captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo - plus wingers Matteo Politano and David Neres - in a packed treatment room at Castel Volturno.

In better news, Milinkovic-Savic recently returned and could replace Alex Meret, who gave away a penalty against Genoa; after his red card at the weekend, Juan Jesus will serve his suspension in Sunday's Serie A clash with former club Roma.

By contrast with Conte - once his coach while at Chelsea - Fabregas has an almost full squad to choose from.

Only Assane Diao and Edoardo Goldaniga are still sidelined by injury, while the rest of his players will have had eight days to train and recuperate.

Sure to pose a threat, forward pair Paz and Tasos Douvikas are Como's eight-goal top scorers in Serie A, and the latter has also notched three in the Coppa Italia.

Napoli possible starting lineup:

Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Rrahmani, Jesus; Gutierrez, Lobotka, McTominay, Spinazzola; Vergara, Elmas; Hojlund

Como possible starting lineup:

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

We say: Napoli 1-1 Como (Napoli win on penalties)

After a tight tussle when the clubs last met, a well-rested Como side could test injury-hit Napoli again: aside from a rare slip last week, the Lariani are prolific, so they should at least force a draw.

Still, that may not be enough to go through, with their vastly experienced hosts prevailing on penalties for a second successive round.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.