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

After suffering a rare defeat last week, Serie A's reigning champions will aim to get right back on track this weekend, as Napoli welcome struggling Genoa to Stadio Maradona.

The pair clash on Sunday evening, following the hosts' midweek win in Europe and Genoa's latest league loss on Monday.

Match preview

Recording their first Champions League win since 2023, Napoli edged out Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday night, when Rasmus Hojlund's brace proved just enough to defeat the Portuguese champions.

The Partenopei's new playmaker Kevin De Bruyne set up both of the Danish striker's goals, getting Napoli off the mark in Europe's top tournament, following their opening-day defeat to Manchester City.

Though the Scudetto holders made a flawless start to 2025-26, they had then lost two out of three: a 2-1 league loss to Milan ended their 16-game Serie A unbeaten streak last weekend.

So, head coach Antonio Conte will be relieved to get back in the winning habit after suffering setbacks in Manchester and at San Siro.

Conte's team are still undefeated on home turf in 2025, with nine wins and three draws in Serie A so far, and they may expect to extend that run this weekend.

Having won nine and lost none of their last 15 league meetings with Genoa in Naples, history suggests they should be firm favourites.

While three of the last four encounters have ended in draws - including a 2-2 result at the end of last season - Genoa most recently beat Napoli nearly five years ago.

The Grifone's performances so far this term mean they will travel south more in hope than expectation: they sit second-bottom of the standings after a 3-0 home defeat on Monday.

Even if the margin of their loss to Lazio was perhaps quite harsh, Patrick Vieira's men have now picked up just two points from their first five matches.

That represents Genoa's joint-worst start to a Serie A campaign this century, and Vieira's overall record is actually worse than his predecessor Alberto Gilardino, who was sacked around this time last year.

So far, the Rossoblu's only victories have come in the Coppa Italia, where they swept past Vicenza in round one, before beating Empoli to set up a last-16 clash with Atalanta BC in December.

Between now and then, they must improve their Serie A form or they may face a season-long scrap for survival.

Napoli Serie A form:

W W W W L

Napoli form (all competitions):

W W L W L W

Genoa Serie A form:

D L D L L

Genoa form (all competitions):

D L D L W L

Team News

Napoli had to cope with a defensive crisis against Sporting, as captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo was suspended while Amir Rrahmani and Alessandro Buongiorno were injured.

Full-backs Mathias Olivera and Leonardo Spinazzola also had to be rushed back from layoffs, but with Di Lorenzo and Luca Marianucci, who is not on the club's UEFA squad list, now available, Conte's woes should be slightly eased.

Though long-term absentee Romelu Lukaku will not be back in action for several weeks, Hojlund has become the latest Manchester United player to rediscover his best form while on loan, so he should beat Lorenzo Lucca to selection up front.

Meanwhile, in midfield, De Bruyne has brushed off speculation of a rift with Conte after angrily reacting to being substituted, and he will aim to increase his tally of three league goals so far.

The Belgian star may have made a bright start to his stay in Serie A, but Genoa striker Lorenzo Colombo has yet to get off the mark this season.

Nonetheless, he should still spearhead the Grifone's attack, while captain Johan Vasquez and ex-Napoli man Leo Ostigard helm a four-man defence.

In the treatment room, Nicolae Stanciu and Jean Onana will both miss out; it remains to be seen whether Junior Messias can overcome an ongoing adductor problem.

Napoli possible starting lineup:

Meret; Di Lorenzo, Beukema, Jesus, Olivera; Lobotka; Politano, Anguissa, De Bruyne, McTominay; Hojlund

Genoa possible starting lineup:

Leali; Norton-Cuffy, Ostigard, Vasquez, Martin; Frendrup, Masini; Ellertsson, Malinovskyi, Venturino; Colombo

We say: Napoli 2-0 Genoa

Having experienced a couple of blips, Napoli should now post back-to-back wins in the space of a few days, signing off for the international break with a routine victory.

Not only do Genoa lack confidence up front, they have also started to leak goals at the other end, so their wait for a league win will go on.

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