Napoli vs Inter Preview: How to Watch on TV, Live Stream, Kick Off Time & Team News

After three long months away from competitive football, Italy's top sides are on the brink of a return – one which seemed inconceivable not so long ago.

On Saturday night, Inter travel south to take on Napoli in the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final. Antonio Conte's side are trailing 1-0 on aggregate after Fabian Ruiz curled in the only goal of their last meeting prior to the suspension of play.

Both sides have the chance to make the perfect start to the season's sprint finish by making it to Wednesday's final, as the competition concludes before the Serie A campaign gets underway on 20 June.

If the aggregate scores are level after 90 minutes, the contest will go straight to penalties to decide who meets either Juventus or AC Milan in the final.

Where to Watch

When is Kick Off: Saturday 13 June
What Time is Kick Off: 20:00 (GMT)
Where Is it Played: Stadio San Paolo
TV Channel/Live Stream: BT Sport
Referee: Gianluca Rocchi

Team News

Kostas Manolas is the only expected absentee for Napoli, out with a hamstring injury apparently sustained attempting a bicycle kick in a training-session game of foot tennis, but Kalidou Koulibaly is expected to make a welcome return in defence. The 28-year-old centre-back was sorely missed for much of the second half of the campaign, as he was fit enough to only make one appearance in 2020.

Inter will also be missing a member of their backline, with Diego Godín expected to miss out after picking up a muscular injury earlier in the week. Goalkeeper Samir Handanovic missed the first leg with a fractured finger and was replaced by a less than convincing Daniele Padelli, but Handanovic will be back between the posts on Saturday night.

Predicted Lineups

Napoli: Ospina; Di Lorenzo, Maksimovic, Koulibaly, Mario Rui; Demme, Zielinksi, Ruiz; Politano, Mertens, Insigne.

Inter: Handanovic; Skriniar, De Vrij, Bastoni; Candreva, Brozović, Barella, Young; Eriksen, Lukaku, Lautaro.

Head-to-Head Record

These two sides have met each other more than 150 times across Serie A and the Coppa Italia, with Inter boasting the superior record of 71 wins to Napoli's 49, with 41 draws shared.

However, Inter's manager Conte has a surprisingly dismal personal record against Napoli as a coach, despite the fact that he scored his first Serie A goal against these opponents back in 1989. In ten meetings with the Partenopei, Conte has won just three times.

Form Before the Suspension of Play

Gennaro Gattuso endured a tough start to life in the Napoli dugout - losing four of his first five Serie A matches - but it was their win against Lazio in the quarter-final of this competition which acted as the springboard for a run of favourable results leading up to the enforced hiatus.

Inter were in the midst of full-blown wobble prior to the suspension of play in March with three defeats in the space of three weeks; losses against title rivals Lazio and Juventus compounding the first-leg defeat to Napoli

They have a game in hand but are nine points adrift in Serie A, leaving the Coppa Italia their best chance of silverware this season – a competition Conte has never won.

Prediction

In the first meeting between these sides this season back in January, Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martínez tore Napoli's backline apart. The Belgian bagged a brace, while his partner in crime locked up the points in a convincing 3-1 win.

That deadly duo, christened 'LuLa' by the Italian press, are both set to line up against a Napoli defence missing Manolas. Koulibaly may be back, but the Senegal international is set to be in for a tough night as he starts his second game since Christmas in an alien environment against the threatening Lukaku and Lautaro double act.

Given the unprecedented surrounding circumstances, the winner of this match may not simply be the better side on paper, but the team who adapt best to the fan-less atmosphere.

Verdict: Napoli 0-2 Inter