Napoli vs. Juventus match preview: Time, TV schedule, and how to watch the Serie A

Today, Juventus going to Naples to face Napoli is all the time going to be a really, crucial home fixture. Napoli are, as a lot as you would possibly hate it, one of many requirements in Serie A nowadays, and that may be a place wherein Juventus are attempting to return to somewhat than being regardless of the heck you wanna describe them because the previous few years. Napoli are, begrudgingly, the membership that has received two of the final three Serie A titles, and so they’ve completed their most up-to-date triumph with the identical man who kicked off Juve’s decade filled with dominance throughout the 2010s.

What in regards to the different man who ended Napoli’s three-decade-long title draught?

Properly, humorous you point out that. As a result of he’s going to be lining up within the guests’ dugout on the Maradona this weekend.

A recreation that all the time has loads of narrative nowadays has added an excellent better, extremely shiny bald-headed layer to it. That’s as a result of Sunday night time’s showdown between defending champions Napoli and visiting Juventus on the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona might be a managerial matchup between the 2 guys final to win a title in Naples. You should have Antonio Conte on one facet, and then you definately’ll have Luciano Spalletti in his first journey again to the Maradona on the opposite. One man was Juve’s captain and one a lot as coach in Turin, whereas the opposite received Napoli’s first Scudetto since 1990 and obtained an enormous fats tattoo to indicate for it. It’s narrative galore, and the type of matchup between two excellent managers that may have the Italian press licking their chops at the entire potentialities of what to speak about.

However don’t neglect this: it’s additionally second place internet hosting seventh place, with the latter actually attempting to make a press release in relation to their means to show issues round beneath their new supervisor.

Oh, and let’s not neglect this truth, too: Juventus reportedly tried to deliver Conte again to Turin this previous summer time, as an alternative seeing their former supervisor keep at Napoli and Igor Tudor subsequently be confirmed. (Everyone knows how that turned out and thus the explanation Spalletti is right here.)

See? That’s narrative aplenty, people.

After three straight attracts on both facet of the worldwide break, Juventus head to Naples with their greatest (but nonetheless transient) run of kind beneath Spalletti, with three straight wins that simply so occur to return in three completely different competitions. Juve’s obtained their first win within the Champions League, they really beat a bottom-half staff in Cagliari after which received their Coppa Italia opener on Tuesday night time. That’s one thing, and the primary time they’ve received three fixtures in a row since September.

After all, Juve additionally head to Naples removed from full energy. They’re going to be with out the perfect defender. They’re going to be with out probably the most in-form possibility on the No. 9 place. They’re right down to the naked bones of their depth in protection. That is removed from how Spalletti needs to face the defending champions on their residence turf.

The counterpoint is that Napoli are removed from wholesome as nicely. Conte’s facet will take the sector in opposition to Juventus and not using a good variety of their greatest names, with midfielder Stanislav Lobotka being the newest harm doubt for Napoli. They’ve received 4 video games on the bounce in all competitions, however it’s not like Napoli are fully untouchable this season by any means. Conte has, to his credit score, seemingly gone again to a setup that made Napoli so profitable final season to attempt to deal with loads of the accidents, and the truth that they’re nonetheless proper within the combine in a really crowded high 4 that’s solely separated by one measly level is a testomony to the job he can do.

Irrespective of if it’s been with Spalletti or now Conte, Napoli have dominated the head-to-head matchup in recent times, successful 4 of their final six video games in opposition to Juventus in Serie A.

However with Inter Milan completely hammering Como on Saturday and Bologna dealing with Lazio earlier within the day on Sunday, Juventus do have an opportunity to benefit from some leads to entrance of them and transfer up within the league desk. That’s one thing that we’ve Juve not all the time do each this season and the final couple of years. With issues so tightly packed on the high of the in a position, there’s the prospect for lots of motion with every passing week. And that’s one thing that Juve desperately have to become involved in as quickly as they probably can.

Possibly Juventus’ penchant for elevating their recreation in opposition to among the greatest in Serie A regardless of their relative struggles on the entire the previous few years will present its face once more on Sunday night time in opposition to Napoli. Or possibly it can go like so lots of the different video games in opposition to Napoli over the past couple of years.

Both approach, that is about to be a spectacle merely due to who’s going to be heading again to the Maradona for the primary time because the spring of 2023 when he had the town of Naples celebrating for weeks on finish.

We received’t be seeing Dusan Vlahovic in a Juventus jersey till winter turns to spring. Which means the subsequent 4 months might be fairly the fascinating time for Luciano Spalletti and Juve to determine how they wish to take this assault ahead this season (and sure past that).

What higher approach to enter December than with any individual who has “Iceman” as his nickname?

If we’re to imagine the stories popping out of Italy to finish the work week, it can in all probability be Jonathan David beginning in Vlahovic’s spot when Juventus tackle Napoli. Contemplating David has had a productive final couple of weeks, that appears like the proper of transfer for Spalletti — particularly when you think about simply how a lot the membership has thought Canada’s all-time main scorer can be on the coronary heart of the ahead line from the get-go this season.

Is that this the way in which we’d have appreciated to see David get his first actual shot at constant enjoying time at Juve?

No, in fact not. However when you think about the truth that we have been sitting right here just some months in the past pondering that it could be David beginning most of the time and Vlahovic wouldn’t even be on the membership … nicely, that is principally that in a bizarre approach for these subsequent three or 4 months at the least.

The place Loïs Openda suits into all this nonetheless stays to be seen. Spalletti has already stated that they’re completely different sorts of strikers, so it’s one thing that may permit them to play alongside one another extra usually because the season goes on. However, for now (and so long as Kenan Yildiz remains to be cooking), you are feeling like there’s going to be a one or the opposite type of determination for Spalletti.

David, fortunately, is beginning to present indicators off life after his troublesome begin to life in Turin. His efficiency in opposition to Udinese was considered one of his greatest since donning bianconero for the primary time. Say what you need in regards to the lineup that Udinese had on the market — and it actually wasn’t 100% first alternative — however David must preserve placing these sorts of performances collectively. Targets, aim contributions, no matter — he must proceed to construct.

Dealing with Napoli might be considered one of his greatest assessments to this point since he signed with Juventus. But when Juve imagine he could be a striker to construct the squad round, there’s no higher time than now to indicate simply that.

When: Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025.

The place: Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples, Italy.

Official kickoff time: 8:45 p.m. native time in Italy and throughout Europe, 7:45 p.m. in the UK, 2:45 p.m. Japanese time, 1:45 p.m. Central time, 11:45 a.m. Pacific time.

Tv: Fox Deportes (United States); TLN (Canada); TNT Sports activities 1, TNT Sports activities 4 (United Kingdom).

On-line/Streaming: Paramount+, DAZN USA, Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Fox Sports activities app, foxsports.com (United States); DAZN Canada; fuboTV Canada (Canada); DAZN UK (United Kingdom); DAZN Italia, Sky Go Italia (Italy).

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