MILAN - It's one of the biggest games of the season as second hosts first in Serie A. We gear up to Napoli v Inter tonight at the San Paolo with some statistics from Opta.
HEAD TO HEAD
Napoli and Inter have met 138 times in Serie A. The Nerazzurri lead the way with 62 wins to the Azzuri's 42.
The last three matches between the two sides have ended all square. Last season's two meetings finished 2-2.
The Nerazzurri have only won one of their last nine games against Napoli in Serie A. The Azzurri have won four in that time.
Both teams have found the net in five of their last six meetings, with a solitary 0-0 coming in April 2014.
The most common scoreline in this fixture in Serie A is 2-1 to Inter. That result has occurred 16 times in the past, most recently in December 2012.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS IN NAPLES
Inter haven't won in the league at the San Paolo since October 1997. They have managed three draws and six defeats since then.
The last three league matches at Napoli have produced 14 goals at an average of 4.7 per game.
FORM
Napoli currently boast the longest unbeaten run in the top flight. The Azzurri haven’t lost in 12 matches. The last time they went 13 without defeat was in January 2010.
Napoli have won five in a row at home, losing just two of their last 24 league matches on their own patch (16 wins, six draws) and always finding the net (60 goals in total).
Inter have gone seven in Serie A without defeat, recording four straight victories on the back of three consecutive draws, conceding just twice in that time.
The Nerazzurri have the best away record in the division, with 14 points on their travels, and have scored in all of their last 10 games on the road dating back to last season. The two best backlines in Serie A meet at the San Paolo: Inter have let in seven goals, while Napoli have conceded just one more.
Napoli have leaked just two goals in 10 matches since Sarri switched formation. In the same period, no side has conceded fewer goals across Europe’s five major leagues.
Inter have kept four clean sheets in a row. The Nerazzurri last went five without conceding in the league back in May 2005.
Napoli have a total of eight clean sheets, including the five in recent times. The Azzurri managed just nine throughout the whole of the last campaign.
Inter are the team who have made the biggest improvement in their points tally compared with the same stage last year. The Nerazzurri are up 13 points, while Napoli have five more than they did in 2014/15.
GENERAL STATISTICS
Inter and Napoli – along with Fiorentina – have scored the first goal in games more than any other side in the division (10).
Napoli are the only team in Serie A to have never fallen behind in home matches.
Inter have dropped just two points from winning positions, the best in Serie A.
Napoli, along with Bologna, have yet to find the net with a header this term. Inter, meanwhile, are one of three sides to have not conceded in the air.
Inter and Napoli are the only teams in Serie A yet to concede a goal from outside the box.
Inter found the net in the first 30 minutes of the match against Frosinone. The Nerazzurri, however, have struck five goals in the final 15 minutes of games, a league high.
Napoli have scored more goals from open play than any other side. Their total of 23 is 12 more than Inter.
Ten different players have found the net for Inter, only Roma (12) can boast more.
Napoli have played the highest number of passes in the attacking third of the pitch (1,118). Inter are third in this category (850), just behind Udinese.
PLAYER FOCUS
Gonzalo Higuaín has scored in all three of his home matches against the Nerazzurri in all competitions. Higuaín has struck 10 goals in the opening 13 matches of the season. The Argentine had no more than seven at this stage in the previous two campaigns. Higuaín has also played two assists this term, both to Lorenzo Insigne. Two of Insigne’s four assists meanwhile have been for El Pipita.
Stevan Jovetic has found the net in two of his three trips to the San Paolo in the top flight. After hitting three goals in the first two weeks of the season, Jovetic failed to find the net in his next seven league matches.
José Callejón has scored three goals against the Nerazzurri, one of which came at the San Paolo. Callejón also scored his only brace in Serie A against Inter, at the San Siro in October 2014.
Marek Hamsik scored in Napoli’s most recent meeting with Inter, in March 2015. Prior to that he had only found the net once in 13 games against the Nerazzurri.
Elseid Hysaj is set to make his 50th appearance in Serie A.
Jorginho had 218 touches of the ball last Sunday at Verona, a record for a player in Europe’s five major leagues since 2006/07. Jorginho is the only player in the league to have made more than 1,000 passes (1,106), while Hamsik is second (942).
Samir Handanovic has saved more penalties in Serie A against Napoli (four) than any other side. The Slovenian has kept four consecutive clean sheets. He hasn’t gone five without conceding in the same league season since March 2011, when he was at Udinese.
Mauro Icardi scored to make it 2-2 in the sides’ last league meeting. That was his first ever goal against the Azzurri in the league.
Fredy Guarín has found the net twice against Napoli, with both strikes coming at the Meazza.
Adem Ljajic has provided more assists (three) this season than any other Inter player.
Rodrigo Palacio has struck three times against Napoli in Serie A, including a brace in January 2012 for Genoa.
Andrea Ranocchia has also scored at Napoli in the league. He found the net for Bari in December 2009.
COACHES
Roberto Mancini is undefeated in his two match-ups against Maurizio Sarri. Inter beat Empoli at home and drew away last season.
Mancini has won just one of his four matches against Napoli in Serie A, losing two and drawing the other one.
Sarri has won eight matches this season, the same number he managed throughout all of last season in charge of Empoli.
REFEREE AND DISCIPLINE
Daniele Orsato will take charge of a Serie A game for the 151st time. It is also his sixth of the current campaign. In that side time, the home side has won 69 times, while there have been 39 away wins and 42 draws.
Napoli have been officiated by Mr Orsato 19 times, recording six wins, six defeats and seven draws.
Inter have played the same number with Orsato, winning 10, drawing five and losing four, all away from home.
Orsato oversaw Inter 2-2 Napoli on 19 October 2014.
Inter (168) and Napoli (173) are the two sides to have committed the fewest fouls this season. The Azzurri also have fewer yellow cards (27) than any other team.
Napoli and Chievo are the only sides yet to have a player sent off this season.
SUSPENDED: none
ONE BOOKING FROM SUSPENSION
Napoli: none
Inter: Kondogbia, Medel, Melo.
