Serie A

Napoli want to hold onto their lead in Parma

Parma are looking for points to secure safety against Napoli who must win to keep their one-point lead over Inter.

The Scudetto race and the fight for safety will cross at the Tardini where Parma host Napoli. The Gialloblù have lost their last two games to Como and Empoli and now want to seal their Serie A spot next year. Napoli have most recently drawn at home to Genoa after four wins in a row and they cannot afford to slow down anymore if they want to stay ahead of Inter.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Napoli have won their last three matches against Parma in Serie A and have never achieved four consecutive wins against the Ducali in the top flight. There’s only been one draw between Parma and Napoli in Serie A in their last 18 matches: 2-2 on 10th May 2015, with 11 wins for the Partenopei and six wins for the Emilians in the other 17 games. In the last 14 matches at the Tardini stadium between Parma and Napoli in Serie A, there’s been six wins each and two draws with 21 goals for the Ducali against 20 goals for the Partenopei.

DID YOU KNOW?

After winning all three home games in the first half of the season against newly promoted teams in Serie A this season, Napoli have gained only one point in the two away games against these opponents in the second half of the season (a defeat against Como and a draw against Venezia). Parma have lost their last two league matches, after remaining unbeaten in eight of their first nine games under Cristian Chivu in Serie A (W2 D6); the Emilians have already lost at least three matches in a row twice in Serie A this season: four between January and February 2025 and three in December 2024. Napoli have won their last two away league games without conceding goal (against Monza and Lecce) and the Partenopei could win three away matches in a row without conceding goal in Serie A for the first time since between January and March 2023 (six in that case). Both Napoli and Parma have drawn seven matches in the second half of the current league season, with only Venezia (nine), Lazio and Torino (eight both) drawing more since MD20 in Serie A in 2024/25.

PLAYERS

Milan Djuric has scored five goals in the current league season (one with Parma and four with Monza). Only in 2023/24 has he netted more goals in a single Serie A campaign (nine, five with Hellas Verona and four with Monza). He has scored one goal against Napoli in the top-flight, on 7th April 2024 with Monza. Scott McTominay (11 goals and 4 assists) is only the second midfielder to have been involved in at least 15 goals in his first season in Serie A in the last 20 campaigns, after Hernanes in 2010/11 (16). Romelu Lukaku has been involved in eight goals in his last 10 Serie A games against newly promoted opponents (six goals and two assists), including one goal against Parma in his debut match for Napoli on 31st August 2024.

DISCIPLINE

Suspended: Valenti (Parma) Cautioned: Keita, Haj Mohamed, Balogh, Djuric (Parma); Olivera (Napoli)

REFEREE

DOVERI (COSTANZO – PASSERI) IV: MARCHETTI, VAR: MARINI, AVAR: AURELIANO

UPCOMING MATCHES IN SERIE A

Atalanta-Parma Napoli-Cagliari (Photo Getty Images)