Unbeaten leaders Napoli meet in-form Hellas Verona on Sunday evening, as they return from a successful European incursion in midweek.

Seeking to extended their remarkable run until this year's final international break, the hosts will be faced by opponents who have won three of their last five Serie A games - including last week's victory against Juventus.

Match preview

Despite their domestic dominance in the opening quarter of the 2021-22 campaign, it took until Napoli's third Europa League fixture to secure a first continental win, but they were quick to follow up with another - cruising to their second straight victory over Legia Warsaw in Poland this week.

A 4-1 win puts the Azzurri top of Group C with two games to go, and allows them to return their attention to maintaining their formidable form on Italian soil.

Luciano Spalletti's men have won 10 of their first 11 Serie A fixtures to stay locked on points with Milan at the top of the table, with their latest success coming in a local derby with Salernitana last Sunday, when both teams ended the match with 10 men.

It took Napoli over an hour to find a way through one of the league's leakiest defences, as Piotr Zielinski netted what ultimately turned out to be the winner, and the Polish midfielder was on target again in his homeland on Thursday; scoring the first for the visitors in a one-sided affair.

Following the 'blip' of being held to a goalless draw by Roma, then, Napoli are firmly back on the winning trail, and will seek a fourth straight victory on Sunday, when they welcome opponents they failed to beat either home or away last season.

They take to the field as favourites, though, and Spalletti's side will aim to become the first to win 11 of their first 12 Serie A matches since Juventus did so in 2018-19 - only the second time such a feat has ever been achieved.

Defensive mastery has been the bedrock of their scintillating success so far, as the Neapolitans have kept the most clean sheets in the top five European leagues this season - eight in 11 matches - and conceded only three league goals to date.

While Napoli have made an impressive start, in recent weeks, Verona have not been averse to getting out of the blocks quickly themselves, and free-scoring forward Giovanni Simeone did just that in last weekend's victory over an ailing Juventus.

The Argentinian striker had already netted twice before the 20-minute mark at Stadio Bentegodi, helping new coach Igor Tudor - a former Juve defender and assistant - continue his remarkable record in the Hellas dugout to date.

Having gone two goals ahead in six of their last seven games, the Scaligeri's third victory in that spell was perhaps their most memorable, as their more illustrious visitors could not fight back sufficiently and ultimately fell to a 2-1 defeat.

Tudor already has wins over Roma, Lazio and Juventus on his CV since signing up to replace Eusebio Di Francesco in mid-September, while Milan were also pushed close at San Siro. All of which has helped the Gialloblu into the top half of the table as one of the division's top scorers - with one more than even Sunday evening's opponents.

Losing just one of his eight games in charge so far - plus notching 21 goals in the process (only Bayern Munich have more during that time) - the Croatian coach has certainly salvaged his reputation following a failed stint as Andrea Pirlo's right-hand man in Turin last term.

With the fixture list set to throw up some more modest opposition after the international break, following a supposedly tough run last month, Verona will expect to be upwardly mobile for some time yet.

Team News

After Victor Osimhen picked up a calf injury in training which caused him to miss Napoli's last two matches, the Nigeria striker should be fit to face Verona on Sunday, so will start up front.

Luciano Spalletti will therefore shift Andrea Petagna back to the bench, while goalkeeper David Ospina, Fabian Ruiz and captain Lorenzo Insigne return to the starting XI after missing out in Warsaw.

Having filled in at left-back in midweek, Juan Jesus could deputise for the suspended Kalidou Koulibaly in the centre, where he would join Amir Rrahmani at the heart of the hosts' back four.

Verona, meanwhile, only have Italy Under-21 international Gianluca Frabotta - currently on loan from Juventus - ruled out of the trip south, as he faces the rest of the year on the sidelines following Achilles tendon surgery this week.

In his continued absence, Darko Lazovic should feature on the left of a 3-4-2-1 formation, with captain Davide Faraoni lining up on the opposite flank.

Red-hot striker Giovanni Simeone - who netted four goals versus Lazio and a brace against Juventus - will be supported by Antonin Barak and Gianluca Caprari up front for Igor Tudor's side.

Napoli possible starting lineup:
Ospina; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Jesus, Rui; Anguissa, Ruiz, Zielinski; Politano, Osimhen, Insigne

Hellas Verona possible starting lineup:
Montipo; Dawidowicz, Gunter, Casale; Faraoni, Tameze, Veloso, Lazovic; Barak, Caprari; Simeone

We say: Napoli 2-1 Hellas Verona

While their visitors have got form against the bigger teams this term, Napoli can demonstrate their defensive qualities to keep the fluent Verona forward line largely at bay on Sunday.

As back-four mainstay Kalidou Koulibaly's absence will certainly be felt by the hosts, the return of their main men up top will be required to topple the surging Scaligeri at Stadio Maradona.

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