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Napoli have struggled for consistency so far this season, leaving them in danger of surrendering their Serie A title and outside the Champions League’s qualification places.
The Partenopei’s continental campaign started with a 2-0 loss at the Etihad, before a brace from Rasmus Højlund handed them a welcome triumph over Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon. A sobering 6-2 defeat in Eindhoven then followed, but Antonio Conte's men responded to that setback by securing four points across meetings with Eintracht Frankfurt and Qarabağ. Last week’s 1-1 draw with FC Copenhagen was preceded by a disappointing defeat to Benfica, resulting in a make-or-break clash on Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, Chelsea currently sit eighth in the Champions League standings following a solid if not spectacular set of results. Having left Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena empty-handed in their European opener, the Blues quickly recovered to beat Benfica and Ajax on home soil. An underwhelming draw with Qarabağ came next, but a stunning attacking display against Barcelona handed Chelsea a statement victory on matchday five. The West Londoners then succumbed to Atalanta in Bergamo, before claiming the aforementioned 1-0 win over Cypriot champions Pafos last Wednesday.
This week’s crucial meeting between Napoli and Chelsea will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 4, with coverage commencing exactly 30 minutes before kick-off at 19:30 (BST). Those with a discovery+ subscription can watch the match via the streaming network’s in-house app.
Napoli v Chelsea – Key information
Date: Wednesday, January 28th
Kick-off time: 20:00 (BST)
Venue: Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, Naples
Referee: Clément Turpin (Assistant Referees: Nicolas Danos and Benjamin Pagès, Fourth Official: Ruddy Buquet)
VAR: Jérôme Brisard (Assistant VAR: Bastien Dechepy)
TV Channels: TNT Sports 4
Live stream: discovery+
Odds: Napoli: 8/5, Draw: 5/2, Chelsea: 31/20
Odds provided by bet365
Napoli v Chelsea team news
Since being dismissed from his post at Stamford Bridge in July 2018, Antonio Conte has only won one of his subsequent five meetings with Chelsea. The Italian tactician will make his 50th managerial appearance in the Champions League on Wednesday night, while the man in the opposing dugout has extremely limited experience in major European competitions.
Expect Liam Rosenior to adopt his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, as the newly-appointed Blues boss attempts to penetrate Napoli’s inherently defensive shape.
Napoli team news
Having torn his hamstring while firing a penalty past Inter Milan ‘keeper Yann Sommer at the end of October, Kevin De Bruyne faces another couple of months on the sidelines. Fellow midfielder Billy Gilmour – who started his career at Stamford Bridge after progressing through Chelsea’s academy – is currently absent due to a groin issue, but the young Scotsman is expected to return to action within the next few weeks.
Kosovan international Amir Rrahmani hurt his glute during Napoli’s 1-0 victory over Sassuolo on Saturday evening, while experienced winger Matteo Politano developed a thigh problem earlier in the same match. There was further bad news for David Neres in midweek, as his battle with a recurring ankle injury rumbles on. The former Ajax ace missed two fixtures at the start of January before featuring as an early second-half substitute against Parma, but was withdrawn 32 minutes later as the pain in his ankle returned. It’s now been revealed that Neres will require surgery, rendering him unavailable until at least the end of March.
Rasmus Højlund is expected to operate at the focal point of Napoli’s attack, as he continues his temporary stint away from Manchester United. The Danish marksman will be hoping for a similar outcome to the one that materialised in his first-ever appearance against Chelsea, when current teammate Scott McTominay scored twice in a 2-1 triumph at Old Trafford. McTominay has already found the net on four occasions in this season’s Champions League, with each of these goals coming courtesy of headed finishes.
Napoli predicted lineup v Chelsea (3-4-2-1)
Coach: Antonio Conte
Vanja Milinković-Savić (GK); Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Alessandro Buongiorno, Juan; Leonardo Spinazzola, Stanislav Lobotka, Scott McTominay, Mathías Olivera; Antonio Vergara, Eljif Elmas; Rasmus Højlund
Chelsea team news
Although Robert Sánchez has possessed Chelsea’s number one jersey for some time, there’s recently been a question mark over whether Filip Jörgensen will emerge as Liam Rosenior’s favourite between the sticks.
However, that debate has at least temporarily been put on ice following last Wednesday night’s events, which saw Jörgensen fail to reappear for the second half due to picking up a knock in the opening 45 minutes. Reece James was also withdrawn at the interval, but Rosenior later clarified that this had been a protective measure to support his captain’s recovery from a hip problem. Attacking duo Liam Delap and Jamie Gittens also returned against Pafos, after both players suffered a bout of illness earlier in the month.
Nevertheless, Rosenior is still without several key players.
Influential midfielder Roméo Lavia continues to struggle with a severe thigh strain, while long-term absentee Levi Colwill won’t be back in action before the end of the season. Having laboured under the effects of a recurrent groin issue throughout the early stages of the campaign, Cole Palmer is now nursing a muscle injury. However, it seems the former Manchester City ace is currently able to play through the pain. Tosin Adarabioyo is the latest to hit the treatment table, after the central defender pulled his hamstring during Chelsea’s 2-0 win over West London neighbours Brentford.
Chelsea predicted lineup v Napoli (4-2-3-1)
Coach: Liam Rosenior
Robert Sánchez (GK); Malo Gusto, Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Cucurella; Reece James, Moisés Caicedo; Pedro Neto, Enzo Fernández, Estêvão; João Pedro
Where to watch on TV or live stream?
UK viewers will be able to watch events at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium unfold on TNT Sports, while also having the option of tuning into the other five Champions League contests involving Premier League clubs. Chelsea’s clash with Napoli is set to be aired on TNT Sports 4.
All 18 of Wednesday’s league phase fixtures will be available on the discovery+ app, as the initial stage of UEFA’s top-tier competition draws to a close. Please note that the discovery+ app is available to download onto SMART TVs, smartphones, tablets, and other compatible electronic devices.
Head-to-Head record
Although Napoli and Chelsea have consistently featured in European competition over the past fifteen years, these two sides are set to meet for just the third time ever on Wednesday evening.
The pair were drawn against each other for the last sixteen stage of the 2011/12 Champions League campaign, after both sides successfully navigated their way past several tricky group stage opponents. Following a 3-1 defeat in Naples, Chelsea reversed this scoreline at Stamford Bridge to send the tie to extra time. The hosts went through thanks to Branislav Ivanovic’s 105th-minute strike, before eliminating Benfica and Barcelona en route to the final.
A historic night in Bavaria then followed, as the West Londoners beat Bayern Munich in their own backyard to clinch their fourth piece of continental silverware.
Napoli v Chelsea – Match Result odds
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change. All odds provided by bet365.