Antonio Conte will be pleased with his team’s recent performance, especially after how they began the new year. Following a miserable start to 2026, Napoli have roared back to life with four consecutive wins, which is a first such run since September, and they will aim to continue that against AC Milan on Monday.
The latest of those wins came against Cagliari before the international break, which saw Conte’s side keep a clean sheet for the first time in 11 attempts. More importantly, they further cut the gap to leaders Inter Milan to seven points, who have dropped points in three consecutive Serie A games.
Napoli currently assume pole position in the top four race compared to the chasing pack of Como, Juventus, and AS Roma. However, the Partenopei are not losing hope on the title just yet, although with the next game being against second-placed AC Milan, a defeat in this game will all but end their slim title hopes unless Inter Milan have a major drop-off between now and the end of the season.
The same could be said about AC Milan, who might not want to lose further ground in their slim title hopes. The Rossoneri are six points behind Inter Milan in the standings, having kick-started a late surge with a win over their local rivals three games ago.
However, Massimiliano Allegri’s men failed to take a golden opportunity to further close the gap when Inter Milan drew with Atalanta, as the Rossoneri suffered an untimely defeat to Lazio. However, the Nerazzurri’s crumbling form has given Milan hope of catching up, which they will hope continues.
The game against Napoli is particularly crucial for both sides, both in the context of the title race and securing a top-four berth. These are two teams favoured to play Champions League football next season; however, a defeat for either will push that team out of the title race, whilst a draw will end the Scudetto quest for both in all probability.
Napoli have had major injury issues over the course of the season, and their recent upturn in form has coincided with many of their key stars returning. Chief among those is Kevin De Bruyne, who has missed a chunk of the season with a major hamstring injury, and it is no coincidence that Antonio Conte’s men have registered three wins in three since the Belgian’s return.
The same could be said about Scott McTominay, who secured the three points against Cagliari with a winner. Napoli are still missing key stars in skipper Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Antonio Vergara, Amir Rrahmani, David Neres, and Romelu Lukaku.
The latter’s continued absence mean Rasmus Hojlund will continue to lead the line for Napoli against AC Milan, and he will have the support of the formidable De Bruyne and McTominay behind him. Conte is likely to use his favoured midfield setup comprising Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Stanislav Lobotka.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Buongiorno, Jesus; Politano, Anguissa, Lobotka, Spinazzola; McTominay, De Bruyne; Hojlund
Massimiliano Allegri is not expected to change his shape, as he has persisted with the 3-5-2 setup since his return to the club last summer. He will want to mount a late charge towards the title, and at the moment, he has most of his players fit and available.
Only Matteo Gabbia is out of contention, whilst Ruben Loftus-Cheek has recovered from a serious facial injury suffered a few weeks ago. This upcoming game against Napoli also marks the 150th Serie A appearance for AC Milan skipper and goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
The formidable Luka Modric will lead the midfield setup, whilst Youssouf Fofana and Adrien Rabiot are also set to play alongside the veteran Croat. Rafael Leao and the in-demand Christian Pulisic are set to lead the line, although Niclas Füllkrug, Christopher Nkunku, and Santiago Gimenez are all in contention for a forward role.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Maignan; Tomori, Pavlovic, De Winter; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Pulisic, Leao
Napoli’s late surge is courtesy of the return of key stars from injury, most notably Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian playmaker is one goal away from reaching the 100-goal mark in Europe’s top five leagues, and he will hope to reach that landmark against AC Milan.
Napoli’s win percentage dropped to 25% without the talismanic midfielder, and it is no coincidence that they have won all three of the games he has featured in since returning from a serious injury. De Bruyne will be a catalyst for Napoli in this upcoming clash with AC Milan, and he will hope to keep Napoli relevant in the title conversation.
AC Milan are the closest to leaders Inter Milan heading into the next game, yet they have not shown the form that signals an intent to close the gap further on their rivals at the top. The Rossoneri are not widely expected to get anything out of this game against Napoli, which does cast them as something of an underdog.
Napoli are in tremendous form heading into this next game against Milan, which makes Conte’s men favourites for the three points. The reigning champions are the in-form team in the division, and a victory will be a big boost for their slim title hopes, something they will keep alive after Monday evening.
