Napoli host Roma on Saturday 24 October in the eighth round of Serie A. The match brings together Napoli's recent unbeaten home run against Roma and a Roma side that has made one of its best starts in recent seasons.
Head-to-head record at Napoli
Opta report that Napoli have drawn 55 of their Serie A meetings with Roma, alongside 50 wins and 53 defeats. Opta also report that only against Torino, with 56 draws, have Napoli shared the spoils more often in their top-flight history.
At home to Roma, Napoli are unbeaten in their last eight Serie A matches, with four wins and four draws. Napoli's last longer unbeaten home run against Roma in Serie A came between 1971 and 1982, when they went 11 games without defeat, winning 10 and drawing one.
Roma have not won a league match at Napoli's stadium since March 2018, when they ran out 4-2 winners.
Napoli's start to the season
Three of Napoli's first seven Serie A matches this season have ended in defeat, alongside three wins and a draw. The last time Napoli shipped at least three defeats in the opening seven rounds was 2009-2010, when four losses cost Roberto Donadoni his job after matchday seven. Walter Mazzarri stepped in as Roberto Donadoni's replacement.
Napoli have kept clean sheets in their last two home Serie A games. Napoli have not strung together three home Serie A matches in a row without conceding at the Diego Armando Maradona since the September to October stretch of 2021.
Roma's points and away defence
Roma have 17 points this season from five wins and two draws. It is Roma's best start after seven rounds since 2014-2015, when they collected 18.
If Roma beat Napoli, they would move to 20 points, matching their third-best tally after eight matches in Serie A. Only Roma's 21 points in 2000-2001 and 24 points in 2013-2014 would stand ahead of 20 points after eight matches.
Roma have kept clean sheets in all three away matches this season. Just once before have Roma kept a clean sheet in their first four away games of a single Serie A campaign: in 2017-2018.
Youth scorers and Hojlund record
Santiago Castro and Emanuele Lolli have taken Roma's tally of players born in 2004 or later to score in Serie A this season to four. No side has more players born in 2004 or later scoring in Serie A this season than Roma, though Como and Monza match Roma's four.
Emanuele Lolli has started five Serie A matches this season at 19 years and 61 days old, and a sixth start would come at 19 years and 68 days. Opta note that among players who debuted in the three-points-for-a-win era since 1994-1995, only Marquinhos reached this mark for Roma in the top flight at a younger age, at 18 years and 181 days.
No team has kept Rasmus Hojlund on the pitch longer in Serie A than Roma, who have faced him for 223 minutes without conceding a goal to him. Roma are the only side Rasmus Hojlund has set up more than once in Serie A, having laid on two goals.