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Both defenses doing brilliantly this season

Even though Napoli are, as a rule, an offense-oriented team, they conceded only 3 goals in the last 15 official games

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Napoli are currently sitting in spot two of the Serie A table and are now set to face the top table Inter. The derby match is to be played today due to Napoli's Europa League campaign. Since they've crushed all of their first 4 EL opponents, they didn't really need this game to be played today because the coach rested most of the key players in Bruges anyway. Napoli were still too powerful for Brugge and ended up winning after center back Chiriches scored. Napoli have been doing brilliantly over the past few months, with their results being the best proof for that. The Naples-based team are on a 17-game undefeated run. Also, even though it might sound a bit unbelievable, they conceded only 3 goals in the last 15 official games. 

Sarri knows how important this derby match is:

- Inter are a very powerful team and their results so far in the season prove that. I wouldn't agree with those who claim that Inter don't play good football. Each team is playing the kind of a game that suits its characteristics. Two very different teams are set to face each other today. Inter are playing a very efficient kind of game, they are very physically powerful. We'll try and play our game like we always do. It will be a great game that will be played in a great atmosphere. 

Napoli's coach couldn't confirm whether the medical team will be able to get the injured forwards Mertens and Gabbiadini healthy for this match (minor injuries). It is expected for them to start on the bench, even if they can play. Insigne, Callejon and Serie A's top scorer Higuain are expected to get a start.

Napoli's defense has been doing a great job this season, but Inter's defense is even better since Handanovic concede only 7 goals in 13 matches they played so far. 4 out of those 7 were conceded to Fiorentina and they now have an even tougher task because Napoli's offense seems brilliant the past few months. Inter are bursting with confidence since Mancini's team finally beat someone by more than one goal last round. Frosinone put up a good fight against Inter in the first half but Inter got increasingly better as the game went on. 

Mancini knows that the task they will be faced at San Paolo will be incomparably tougher:

- We'll need a little bit of everything. They are a complete team but we are ahead in the table and that matters. I still think there are a few teams more powerful than us but let's play. We know that the result at San Paolo won't change anything even though Napoli are clearly the favorite. A win would gave us massive power, even greater than the one we have for now.

Defender Santon and midfielder Kondogbia are struggling with injuries. It is expected for Inter to rely on tough defense today and to try and score through fast counter-attacks. That means that it's possible for the top forward Icardi to start on the bench and that Ljajic, Perisic and Jovetic might start.