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2022/23 Italian Serie A
Matchday 16
Inter Milan v Napoli
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza
Milan, Italy
Wednesday, 4 January 2023
Kick-off is at 21h45
Napoli's unbeaten start to the Serie A season will come under threat when they take on Inter Milan at the San Siro on Wednesday, January 4.
The Partenopei were in formidable form before the World Cup break, winning 13 of their opening 15 games to forge an eight-point lead over the chasing pack.
Luciano Spalletti's side beat Udinese 3-2 last time out to make it 11 league wins on the spin - two shy of equalling a club-record 13 consecutive victories achieved in 2017.
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The Naples outfit played two friendlies in December, losing 3-2 against Villarreal and 4-1 to Lille, with Spalletti conceding after the second defeat that his players didn't have the legs to carry out his game-plan and dismissed suggestions they didn't have the right mindset.
"The legs now don't support the game ideas and technical skills that the team has," he said. "We need to grow as a condition and it is in our programs to grow both as a group and individually.
"We are training well, with intensity and attention and there are no mentality problems."
The Nerazzurri find themselves outside the top four heading into the new year after losing five of their opening 15 matches to sit fifth in the table.
Simone Inzaghi's team bounced back from a 2-0 defeat to Juventus on November 6 by thrashing Bologna 6-1 and seeing off Atalanta 3-2 in their final two outings of 2022 to keep pace with Lazio, the Bianconeri and AC Milan above them in the standings.
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Inter have Napoli's number in recent times, losing just two of their past 10 meetings in all competitions, and Inzaghi is hoping to start 2023 with a bang in the hope of building towards a successful campaign.
"Our prospects for 2023 are that we want to win something," he told Sky Sport Italia. "It's wonderful to play and enjoy our football, but ultimately that is the objective."
Head-to-Head (Last Five Serie A Meetings)
Matches - 5
Inter - 3
Napoli - 0
Draws - 2
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