Seven days after a clean 2-0 win at Genoa on Matchday 1, Napoli return to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona with early momentum and a point to prove about their European ambitions. Kevin De Bruyne opened his Serie A account in that opener, giving Massimiliano Allegri’s side an early marker in what already looks like a tightly contested top four. A win Sunday puts Napoli level on points with AS Roma and Inter while keeping pressure on league leader AC Milan, who have six points from two games. Como arrive having drawn 1-1 at Udinese last week, a decent enough start for Cesc Fabregas’s side but a result that leaves them needing a response against stronger opposition.
What’s at stake
After just one round of matches, the Serie A picture is already taking shape. AC Milan sit top with six points from two games, while Roma, Inter and Napoli are locked on three points apiece behind them. Four points currently separate Champions League qualification (the top four) from the Europa League places, and the gap between fourth and fifth is razor-thin. Napoli are fourth on goal difference alone at this stage, making every early result carry extra weight in what shapes up as a congested upper table.
A Napoli win puts daylight between them and the clubs immediately below while reinforcing their position ahead of a long season. For Como, the calculation is different. Fabregas’s side picked up a point on the road at Udinese, but a loss at the Maradona would drop them further into the mid-table cluster and make the first international break feel more anxious than it needs to be.
How they got here
Napoli arrived at Genoa and left with a comfortable 2-0 win, keeping a clean sheet in the process. De Bruyne and Vergara both found the net, which gives Allegri two reliable attacking contributors from the opening round. Before the competitive season started, Napoli beat Osasuna 2-1 and put six past Aris Thessalonikis in pre-season, so the goals have been flowing freely. Como’s preparation included a goalless draw with Liverpool and a 1-1 result against Arsenal before the season, then they opened with that draw at Udinese. The pattern across their recent games is a team that does not concede cheaply but also has not yet found a way to win on the road.
Napoli head into Saturday’s clash with three points from their opening Serie A game, while Como picked up one point from a draw in their own season debut. Como are tenth on one point. The top nine in the division qualify for European competition this season, so Como are not in immediate danger of missing out, but the gap between them and the stronger clubs at the top is already visible after one round.
Key battle to watch
De Bruyne operating in Napoli’s midfield against Como’s Moroccan-born creative axis of Nicolas Paz and Mathias Caqueret will be the tactical thread to follow. Paz in particular has been one of Como’s most eye-catching players since arriving in Serie A, and how Fabregas sets his midfield to either press De Bruyne high or sit in a compact block will define the rhythm of the match. If Napoli’s midfield gets time on the ball, the supply lines to their forwards will open quickly. If Como can disrupt that, they give themselves the platform to hit on the counter through Alvaro Morata and Assane Diao.
Key Stats
Match Context
Standings
Head To Head
Our Prediction
The head-to-head record is tight, with three draws in the last five meetings including a 0-0 at this exact venue in November 2025. That history suggests Como will not simply roll over, and Fabregas has built a side capable of frustrating bigger opponents. But Napoli at the Maradona with De Bruyne in form and Allegri’s defensive structure intact look a level above what Como can handle right now. Expect Napoli to find a way through, though probably not by a wide margin.
Como
Napoli
Kevin De Bruyne