Roma vs Napoli: Conte's team back in Serie A's top 3?
by Thobelani Moyo | by Thobelani Moyo
Roma's sight is on the top spot and nothing else
After an impressive start to the 2025-26 Serie A season, AS Roma are firmly in the mix of a crowded Scudetto race. Just recently, the team had been occupying the top spot before AC Milan's 1-0 home win over Lazio on Saturday witnessed them drop to second place in the table.
If I Giallorossi manage to secure an important win against Napoli this Sunday, they will be able to retain the top spot. Our Sportytrader betting experts are not second-guessing anything in the Roma vs Napoli prediction as they are in the corner of the former to win in this upcoming encounter.
However, it won't be a walk in the park considering their struggles in this fixture over the past years. At the Stadio Olimpico against Napoli, just two wins have been recorded from their last nine Serie A games (D2, L5).
Another crucial detail that's worth mentioning is that they've never won a league game against Napoli since 2023. Is this their time to finally rise to the occasion and make their loyal fan base proud?
Can Napoli hold on to their position in the standings?
Napoli's title defense is not going the way they had hoped for, with three points separating them from the top spot.
Their progress was significantly hindered by a sudden goal drought, which witnessed them go two matches without scoring a goal. A goalless draw against Como was followed by a 2-0 away defeat to Bologna.
Having accumulated 25 points from 12 games, Gli Azzurri currently find themselves in the top three in the league standings, but their position is not guaranteed. Suffering defeat here is not an option, as this could see them drop as low as fifth place at the end of the day.
Check out the current standings in Serie A:
| Position | Club | Matches Played | GF/GA | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | AC Milan | 13 | 19:9 | 28 |
| 2. | Roma | 12 | 15:6 | 27 |
| 3. | Napoli | 12 | 19:11 | 25 |
| 4. | Inter Milan | 12 | 26:13 | 24 |
| 5. | Bologna | 12 | 21:8 | 24 |
Antonio Conte's men head into this crucial encounter riding a two-match winning streak across all competitions. It first began with an emphatic 3-1 home victory against Atalanta in Serie A and, most recently, a 2-0 home win over Qarabag in the UEFA Champions League.
Head-to-Head Record: Who has the edge?
Roma and Napoli have faced each other 88 times in recorded history. The former has the edge in this fixture with 41 wins, while Napoli have recorded 15 wins, with the remaining 32 matches resulting in draws.
Their most recent match in Serie A was in the previous season, where both sides were content with a point in a 1-1 draw.
