Serie A’s Sunday slate doesn’t get much bigger than this. With the table tightening and the margins shrinking, two heavyweight clashes could reshape both the title chase and the race for the Champions League places. Juventus host Napoli in a game that can swing momentum for the entire top-four battle, before Milan and Roma meet in a showdown that screams pressure, pride, and points that matter. These are the kind of games that create a six-point swing, win, and you pull a rival back; lose, and you hand them daylight, and one moment can significantly swing the whole race.
Table of Contents
Juventus vs Napoli
The Stakes
This is a straight six-pointer in the Champions League race and the wider title picture. After 21 matchdays, Napoli are 3rd on 43 points, and Juventus are 5th on 39. If Juventus win, they jump to 42 and move within a point of Napoli; if Napoli wins, they go to 46 and leave Juventus needing to chase from further back.
Juventus: recent form
Recent form and context
Juve’s last week summed up their season’s tension. In Serie A, they lost 1–0 at Cagliari, a match where they dominated possession and territory but got punished by one moment, a reminder that control means nothing if you don’t finish phases with a goal. It was a major blow to their title hopes, with Juventus still sitting fifth and now carrying the pressure of their head-to-head swing games.
The bounce-back came in Europe: Juventus beat Benfica 2–0 in the Champions League, with Khéphren Thuram and Weston McKennie scoring in the second half. That win matters because it restores rhythm and belief, and it reinforces how much Juventus’ midfield energy can set the tone when they’re playing with conviction.
Zooming out a little further, they also drew 1–1 with Lecce earlier this month, and they produced a statement league performance with a 5–0 win over Cremonese. Put together, Juventus’ form says they can look dominant, but Sunday is about proving they can be ruthless in the moments that decide big games.
Napoli: recent form
Napoli arrives with a similar theme: quality, resilience, and a thin margin for error, made sharper by injuries. Last weekend, they beat Sassuolo 1–0 to end a run of three straight league draws, with Stanislav Lobotka scoring early. This win was huge, but it came with another problem: Amir Rrahmani and Matteo Politano picked up knocks, adding to an absentee list that already included Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne.
In the weeks before that, Napoli’s league run was packed with tight, high-pressure games: a 2–2 draw at Inter where Scott McTominay scored late to rescue a point, a 2–2 home draw with Hellas Verona where they had to claw back from 2–0 down, and a 0–0 draw with Parma. Those results paint a clear identity: Napoli stay in games, they don’t panic, and they have players who can manufacture a moment late, but it also shows why converting draws into wins is the difference between chasing and leading.
Midweek in Europe, they drew 1–1 at Copenhagen, again with McTominay on the scoresheet. Still, they were criticised for complacency after going ahead, the kind of warning that matters before a trip to Turin.
Key players to watch: Juventus vs Napoli
Scott McTominay (Napoli, CM)
McTominay is the Napoli midfielder Juventus can’t ignore when the game gets tight. He has brought real edge since moving over from Manchester United to Napoli in 2024. He’s already produced 5 league goals this season from midfield, the kind of threat that punishes teams who switch off on second balls or late runners.
Rasmus Højlund (Napoli, ST)
Højlund is the “flip the field” weapon. When Juventus push up and try to trap Napoli in, he’s the one run that can turn Juve pressure into a Napoli chance. He’s been Napoli’s most reliable finisher in open play, with 6 league goals, and his movement in behind will decide how brave Juventus can be with their defensive line.
Kenan Yıldız (Juventus, CAM)
This is Juventus’ creator in a match that probably won’t offer many clean chances. Yıldız is the one most likely to receive between the lines, turn, and force Napoli’s defenders to step out of shape, and that’s how tight games get unlocked. His importance is simple: if Juventus need one piece of invention to break the deadlock, it usually comes through him.
Manuel Locatelli (Juventus, CDM)
Locatelli’s job is to make sure Juventus don’t get punished for being aggressive. If Juve want to press Napoli and keep them boxed in, someone has to control the space behind the press, read counters early, and stop Napoli’s first forward pass. The quieter Locatelli’s night looks on the ball, the better Juventus’ control usually is.
Gleison Bremer (Juventus, CB)
Bremer is the duel specialist, and he’ll be central to how Juventus handle Højlund’s runs and Napoli’s direct moments. If Juve holds a high line, Bremer’s 1v1 defending becomes the safety net; if Juve sit deeper, he’s the one tasked with winning the key aerials and protecting the box when Napoli turn the game into transitions.
Prediction: Juventus 1–2 Napoli.
Juve should have plenty of the ball at home, but Napoli are built for these nights: stay compact, absorb the first wave, then punish the moment Juventus get a little too stretched. With Højlund giving them a constant threat in behind and McTominay arriving late into the box, Napoli feel more likely to take their chances when the game opens up. It has the feel of a match decided by one sharp transition or a set piece after Juventus have been forced to chase.
Roma vs Milan
The Stakes
This is another straight six-pointer at the top end of the table, with the title race and Champions League places both in play. After 21 matchdays, Milan sit 2nd on 46 points, Roma are 4th on 42. If Milan win, they move to 49 and keep the pressure right on Inter at the summit; if Roma win, they jump to 45 and drag Milan back into the pack. It’s the kind of result that doesn’t just move you forward, it directly dents a rival’s momentum.
Milan Recent Form
Milan arrives in Rome with the look of a team that can win games in more than one way, which is usually the difference in matches like this. Last weekend, they beat Lecce 1–0 at San Siro, but it wasn’t comfortable. Reuters noted Milan dominated long spells, had a Rafael Leão goal ruled out for offside in the first half, and had to survive an outstanding performance from Lecce keeper Wladimiro Falcone, including a big save from Christian Pulisic. The breakthrough finally came in the 76th minute when Alexis Saelemaekers got to the byline and delivered the cross that Niclas Füllkrug headed in, his first goal for Milan. That match is a snapshot of why Milan are second: even on nights where the finishing isn’t flowing, they keep pushing until the moment arrives.
Zooming out, the table numbers reinforce the same story. Milan’s record is built on control and consistency: 34 scored, 16 conceded, and they’ve stayed right on Inter’s heels. Sunday is a test of whether they can bring that patience and maturity to the Olimpico, where games rarely open up early and every mistake feels magnified.
Roma: Recent form
Roma come in with real momentum and a new attacking spark. They beat Torino 2–0 away last weekend for their third straight Serie A victory, and it had exactly the two ingredients Roma fans want before a match like this: a new signing hitting immediately, and their star man finding rhythm again. Donyell Malen scored on his league debut, and Paulo Dybala both assisted Malen and scored himself, ending a three-month league goal drought. It wasn’t just the goals, either, the reports highlighted how quickly Malen and Dybala clicked, with Roma looking sharper and more direct when they chose to break forward.
There’s also a small revenge edge in the background. Roma had lost 3–2 to Torino in the Coppa Italia five days earlier, so the league win was a response as much as a result. Now they return home knowing a win over Milan would do more than add points, it would validate their top-four push and shrink the gap to second place in one hit.
Key players to watch:
Matìas Soulè (Roma, RW)
Soulè is Roma’s most reliable “break the game open” outlet on the wing, the guy who can turn a quiet spell into territory with one carry, one 1v1, one quick combination. His production is a big part of why Roma have stayed in the top-four mix: he has 6 gals and 4 assists in 21 league appearances this season, and he’s been directly involved in some of Roma’s biggest moments (including creating and scoring in key wins).
Manu Koné (Roma, MF)
Koné is the engine room player Roma need in a match like this, winning second balls, covering transitions, and making sure Roma can actually get out when Milan starts pinning them in. He also gives Roma something extra because he can arrive late and hurt teams from midfield; Roma’s season stats have him among their notable goal contributors. If Koné controls the “messy” moments, loose clearances, rebounds, and midfield duels, Roma’s counter-attacking plan becomes much more dangerous.
Paulo Dybala (Roma, CF)
Dybala is still the Roma player most likely to decide a tight game with one action. He doesn’t need 10 chances, he needs one pocket between the lines, one set piece, one slip pass. Coming off a match where he both assisted and scored in Roma’s 2–0 win over Torino, he’s arriving with rhythm and confidence, and in games like this, that matters as much as tactics.
Christian Pulisic (Milan, RW)
Pulisic is Milan’s most consistent forward threat because he combines movement, end product, and timing; he’s always arriving where defenders don’t want a runner. If you want one stat that frames his importance, he’s sitting on 8 league goals in the scoring race, which tells you how often Milan’s attacks end with him involved. Roma can’t just “keep shape” they have to track their late arrivals and inside runs all night.
Luka Modrić (Milan, CM)
Modrić is Milan’s control lever, the one who can slow the game down when Roma are compact, then speed it up with one pass when the gap appears. The key number here is chance creation: Milan’s team stats list him with 3 expected assists, which fits the eye test, as he’s there to dictate tempo, switch play to isolate wingers, and slip passes into the half-spaces before Roma’s block can reset. If Modrić gets comfortable, Milan’s attacks become sharper and less predictable.
Rafael Leão (Milan, LW)
Leão is the kind of player who can change the mood of a stadium in five seconds. When Milan needs a spark, he’s usually the one who provides it, driving forward, creating separation, and forcing defenders into mistakes. He’s also backed it up with production this season, with 7 Serie A goals (plus 2 assists), among Milan’s league scorers.
And even when he doesn’t score, he’s rarely quiet. Last week against Lecce, he actually had a goal ruled out for offside before Milan eventually found the winner , a reminder that he’s constantly around the moments that decide matches.
Prediction: Roma 2–0 Milan.
Roma feel set up perfectly for this at the Olimpico: stay compact, win the midfield “messy moments” through Koné, then strike with purpose when Milan pushes numbers forward. Soulè’s ability to carry Roma up the pitch and Dybala’s quality in the decisive action give them the tools to turn a tight game into a lead, and once Roma get in front, they’re built to protect it. If Milan starts chasing, the spaces open for Roma to land the second and close it out.
