Gonzalo Higuain is passed fit to start for Juventus against his former club, as Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne lead Napoli in this Scudetto showdown.
It kicks off at the Stadio San Paolo at 19.45 GMT, follow the build-up and action as it happens on the LIVEBLOG.
The Partenopei are top of the table and still unbeaten in Serie A this season, but host the side that has won the last six editions of the tournament.
Gonzalo Higuain is passed fit to start for Juventus against his former club, as Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne lead Napoli in this Scudetto showdown.
It kicks off at the Stadio San Paolo at 19.45 GMT, follow the build-up and action as it happens on the LIVEBLOG.
The Partenopei are top of the table and still unbeaten in Serie A this season, but host the side that has won the last six editions of the tournament.
Arkadiusz Milik and Faouzi Ghoulam are long-term absentees, but Mario Rui has shaken off an ankle problem to start, returning Elseid Hysaj to his preferred right-back role.
The rest is Maurizio Sarri’s ideal XI, with Mertens, Insigne and Jose Callejon supported by Jorginho, Allan and captain Marek Hamsik.
Juventus certainly cannot rely on their usual routine, because Mario Mandzukic, Benedikt Howedes and Stephan Lichtsteiner haven’t even made the trip down south due to injuries.
Higuain is therefore forced to start despite only having surgery to stabilise a fractured bone in his hand on Monday.
The only other alternative would’ve been to use Paulo Dybala as a False 9, but Max Allegri does mirror Sarri’s formation with a 4-3-2-1 approach that effectively turns into 4-3-3 when attacking.
Douglas Costa and Dybala support Pipita, who’ll get a frosty reception from his former fans, with Mattia De Sciglio and Kwadwo Asamoah as the full-backs.
Giorgio Chiellini returns from his injury, allowing Andrea Barzagli and Alex Sandro to rest ahead of the crucial Champions League match with Olympiacos.
Juve’s history in this fixture is not promising, managing only one victory in the last 13 competitive visits. That was a 3-1 result in January 2015, interrupting eight losses and four draws.
The Turin giants haven’t kept a clean sheet at the San Paolo since their 0-0 draw in March 1997, conceding 31 goals in their last 16 trips between Serie A, Serie B and the Coppa Italia. In that time, the Bianconeri only failed to find the net twice, scoring 25.
Napoli will wear their black third choice kit, while Juventus are all in yellow.
Tonight’s fixture was so eagerly-awaited in Naples that episodes of Sky show Gomorrah were released early to the On Demand service so they wouldn’t clash.
Juve fans have been barred from making the trip to the Stadio San Paolo due to security concerns.
Napoli: Reina; Hysaj, Albiol, Koulibaly, Mario Rui; Allan, Jorginho, Hamsik; Callejon, Mertens, Insigne
Napoli bench: Sepe, Rafael, Maksimovic, Chiriches, Maggio, Rog, Diawara, Zielinski, Ounas, Giaccherini, Leandrinho
Juventus: Buffon; De Sciglio, Benatia, Chiellini, Asamoah; Khedira, Pjanic, Matuidi; Dybala, Douglas Costa; Higuain
Juventus bench: Szczesny, Pinsoglio, Rugani, Alex Sandro, Marchisio, Barzagli, Bentancur, Sturaro, Bernardeschi, Cuadrado