Napoli vs Roma Prediction: McTominay to ruin Ranieri’s Roma return

After heading into the international break without a win in two games, Napoli will be desperate to get back on track at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona this Sunday (17:00, TNT Sports 2) as they host AS Roma in the standout Serie A fixture of the day.

Below is my Napoli vs Roma prediction, complete with all the latest team news and match odds, as Claudio Ranieri makes his return as head coach of I Giallorossi.

Team News

Napoli head coach Antonio Conte appears to have a fully-fit squad on Sunday, meaning he could name the same starting XI that lined up in the 1-1 draw with Inter Milan at San Siro two weeks ago when Scott McTominay put Gli Azzurri in the lead.

Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku, who scored 13 Serie A goals on loan at Roma last season, has only struck once in his last six appearances for club and country but should get the nod to lead the line against his former side this weekend.

Football Odds

Mario Hermoso, Alexis Saelemaekers and Eldor Shomurodov are all still out injured for Roma, but there is better news over Paulo Dybala and Mats Hummels, both of whom were injury doubts heading into this clash.

Dybala missed I Giallorossi's 3-2 defeat at home to Bologna last time out, a result that cost Ivan Juric, Roma's second manager of the season after Daniele De Rossi, his job.

Both Dybala and Hummels are only expected to be fit enough for the bench, however.

Napoli vs Roma Odds

*Please click on the link above to be taken to the main Napoli vs Roma page on betfred.com (or app) for all the live betting prices on this match.

Napoli are 4/5 to return to winning ways at home after suffering a 3-0 defeat to Atalanta last time out at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Those odds give Gli Azzurri an implied probability of 55.6%, while Roma are 5/2, or a 28.6% chance, to kick off Ranieri's third stint at the club with a victory in Naples.

The draw is priced at 5/2, both teams to score at 1/1, and over 2.5 total goals at 11/10.

Lukaku (7/4) heads the anytime goalscorer market against his former employers with teammates Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (21/10) and Giovanni Simeone (11/5) next in the running. Artem Dovbyk (11/4), who has four Serie A strikes to his name since moving from La Liga side Girona during the summer, is considered Roma's most likely man in the market.

Match Result & Total Goals Over/Under 2.5 - Napoli & Under 2.5 Goals @ 5/2

After six-straight victories, Napoli's results took a downturn before the international break as they lost to Atalanta and drew with Inter.

However, La Dea and I Nerazzurri are first and second in the league, respectively, although Napoli can overtake both again with a victory on Sunday.

Roma shouldn't pose Conte's side as many problems as Atalanta and Inter did, and their players will still be coming to terms with how their third manager of the season wants them to play.

I Giallorossi have been awful on the road this season, taking just four points from six games and failing to win one. That does mean that they have only lost twice, though, with a goalless draw at Juventus on September 1 fairly impressive.

However, their two away defeats have come back-to-back in the last month as they were hammered 5-1 by Fiorentina in Florence on October 27 and beaten 3-2 by Verona a week later. They've scored just five times on their travels and have shipped 10 goals, hardly ideal statistics heading into an away game with a title challenger.

Napoli, meanwhile, have won five of their six home games, the defeat by Atalanta last time out in Naples proving to be the outlier so far. Prior to that loss, they had conceded just twice at home and triumphed to nil in half (three) of their home outings.

Across the Serie A season so far, Napoli have kept seven clean sheets and six of their games have finished with two or fewer goals, including six of their last eight - four of which they have won.

A low-scoring Napoli victory is my first tip for Sunday, and you can get Gli Azzurri to win and under 2.5 total goals at 5/2 with Betfred.

Anytime Goalscorer - Scott McTominay (NAP) @ 3/1

McTominay carved out a reputation at Manchester United for popping up at crucial times and netting a vital equaliser or winner, and he looks to be well on the way to making himself a hero in Naples for something similar.

The 27-year-old scored his first Serie A goal in a 3-1 victory against Como on October 4, opening the scoring at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, and he doubled his tally in the competition two weeks ago with another opening effort, this time at the home of reigning champions Inter.

For club and country this season the Scotland international has five goals and it would now be a big surprise if he didn't reach double figures for the campaign - for Napoli alone.

Sunday represents another big game and at 3/1, I'm inclined to back McTominay to live up to his big-game billing and help Napoli reclaim top spot in Serie A.

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