As the halfway point of the 2015/2016 Serie A campaign approaches, it has certainly been one of the more interesting Scudetto races in recent times. There are at least four teams - Inter, Napoli, Fiorentina, and, of course, the runners-up for the past two seasons, Roma - all in serious contention to unseat Juventus as the reigning champions of Italy. And after a difficult start, the Bianconeri are well back in the chase for the Scudetto after winning their last five games on the trot to rise from flirting with relegation into being just points off the current league leaders.
Napoli
With Argentinian attacker Gonzalo Higuain leading the scoring charts, this has been one of the most exciting seasons for Partenopei fans - some of whom truly do believe that Napoli has a fighting chance at winning their first Scudetto in over 26 seasons. And as things stand in the current Serie A table, Maurizio Sarri's men are certain well within the race. Although Inter have now opened a five point gap after cruising to a 4-0 win over Udinese yesterday, Napoli are only one point behind Fiorentina, who occupy second place and could overtake the Viola with a win against Roma later today.
In fact, with Fiorentina having their own tough match coming up this evening against Juventus, Napoli are in a good position not just to close the gap between themselves and Inter to just two points, but also make sure that they keep Juventus, who are just four points behind at bay for as long as possible. They will be coming into this game having suffered a shock loss to Bologna in the last round and will be keen on righting things as they welcome Roma, a team that have not impressed much lately over the past fwe weeks to the Stadio San Paolo.
The 3-2 defeat to Bologna snapped an impressive 13-match unbeaten streak for Napoli, who were painfully close to salvaging a draw against their opponents courtesy of a late brace from Higuain. That game had seen them fall three goals behind and given that they have the joint-second best defensive record in the league (with 12 conceded) they will surely not want to have a repeat of that same disaster from round 15.
In terms of personnel, Sarri will have a full-strength squad available for selection, with only Manolo Gabbiadini still recovering from an ankle injury. Despite conceding three goals, veteran goalkeeper Pepe Reina is expected to retain his spot and they could opt for a 4-3-3 with Higuain flanked on either side by Jose Callejon and Lorenzo Insigne.
Although the last 12 Serie A meetings between the two are split evenly - with each team having won five times and drawn once - Napoli as of late have gained an edge over Roma. In their past five matches contested at the Stadio San Paolo, the Partenopei have won four out of them, including the past three.
Roma
Meanwhile, although a 0-0 stalemate versus Belarusian outfit BATE was enough to secure their spot in the Champions League round of 16, there is an air of discontent among Giallorossi fans. For starters, Roma have not won a game since defeating Lazio in the Derby della Capitale at the beginning of last month, and they have struggled to re-gain their footing in the league, with a 1-1 draw with Torino following a bad week that saw them concede eight goals (including six versus Barcelona) and lose 2-0 to Atalanta.
Although the club's leadership still continue to back Rudi Garcia, there is a growing sense of frustration among some sections of the Roma fanbase with the French tactician's work in the Italian capital. No matter that he guided them to two consecutive second-placed finishes - their best result in recent seasons - but it certainly is not fun always being the bridesmaid and never the bride. At this point, supporters are expecting the team to finally overthrow Juventus as the champions of Italy although as things are looking this season, the Lupi certainly are not the only side with the exact same intention.
Injuries certainly have not helped Roma's cause. Although they have finally been able to welcome back Gervinho and Mohamed Salah - the former of whom may start from the bench - they are still missing the guidance of captain Francesco Totti. Others who will not feature include defensive option Vasilis Torosidis and long-term absentee Kevin Strootman, but fortunately, other from that, none of Garcia's men will have to miss out due to suspension.
This same fixture last season finished as a 2-0 win for Napoli, although the reverse meeting saw Roma emerge as victors after a tough 1-0 win at the Stadio Olimpico. A win for the Lupi will see them pull level on points with Napoli whereas a victory for the Partenopei, as noted before, could see them consolidate second spot should Fiorentina lose to Juventus and narrow the gap on Inter to just two points.
With Juventus and Fiorentina clashing later today, it looks set to be a very interesting afternoon of Serie A action for the teams trying to catch Inter at the top of the table!
Which channel is broadcasting Napoli vs Roma on TV or Online?
With just three points separating the Partenopei and the Giallorossi, Serie A fans will be in for a treat as two of the Scudetto contenders face off on Sunday evening. If you happen to be in Southern Italy, you just might be heading to the Stadio San Paolo for what will be an intense encounter from start to finish.
If you will not be able to view it in person, no worries. LiveSoccerTV has you covered with some good options to catch the game via TV, phone, tablet, or computer. Here are some choices for fans residing in the following countries:
- In the USA at 12.00 EST on: fuboTV, RAI International, beIN SPORTS CONNECT U.S.A., beIN Sports USA
- In Italy at 18.00 CET on: Sky Sport 1 HD Italia, Sky Supercalcio HD, Premium Calcio, Sky Calcio 1, SKY Go Italia
- In the UK at 17.00 GMT on: BT Sport Live Streaming, BT Sport 1
- In Canada at 12.00 ET on: beIN SPORTS CONNECT Canada, beIN Sports Canada, RAI International
Live elsewhere? Check out our special Napoli vs. Roma broadcast page for specific viewing times and options for wherever you call home.
*NOTE: Live broadcast listings are subject to change*
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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