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Inter Milan and Napoli clash at a sold-out San Siro this evening with first place in Serie A at stake, as Cristian Chivu restores Marcus Thuram and Piotr Zielinski to his starting eleven after rotation against Parma in midweek.
Inter Milan Restore Key Players as Napoli Face Injury Crisis for San Siro Showdown
Chivu has reverted to Inter’s most reliable XI for the 20:45 CET kick-off, knowing the result could significantly shape the Scudetto race. Alessandro Bastoni, Nicolò Barella, Piotr Zielinski and Marcus Thuram all return to the starting lineup, underlining the importance of the occasion against Antonio Conte’s side following controversies from the reverse meeting.
The Nerazzurri coach has selected a 3-5-2 formation with Yann Sommer in goal behind a defence of Yann Bisseck, Manuel Akanji and Bastoni. Luis Henrique continues as the emergency solution on the right flank in the absence of Denzel Dumfries, with Federico Dimarco confirmed on the left wing-back position.
Zielinski is preferred to Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Sucic in midfield alongside Barella, while Hakan Calhanoglu anchors play in the regista role. Up front, Chivu puts his faith in the established Thu-La partnership of Thuram and Lautaro Martinez, with both Ange-Yoan Bonny and Francesco Pio Esposito available to change the game from the bench.
Napoli arrive in Milan significantly depleted, with David Neres failing to recover from his ankle problem and forcing Conte into a reshuffle. Leonardo Spinazzola is pushed higher up the pitch, with Eljif Elmas operating between the lines in a 3-4-2-1 formation featuring Milinkovic-Savic in goal and Hojlund leading the attack.
Several key absences remain for the visitors, including Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, leaving Napoli short on experience and physical presence. Scott McTominay and Stanislav Lobotka anchor the midfield, while Matteo Politano supports the attack alongside Elmas behind lone striker Hojlund.
