It’s a head-to-head for third place between Sampdoria and Napoli, so can Sinisa Mihajlovic’s men cause another upset?
It kicks off at Marassi at 20.00 GMT, click here for a match preview.
This fixture rounds off Week 13 in Serie A and either side could go into third place, though a draw would put Napoli on a par with Samp’s city rivals Genoa.
It’s a head-to-head for third place between Sampdoria and Napoli, so can Sinisa Mihajlovic’s men cause another upset?
It kicks off at Marassi at 20.00 GMT, click here for a match preview.
This fixture rounds off Week 13 in Serie A and either side could go into third place, though a draw would put Napoli on a par with Samp’s city rivals Genoa.
If Rafa Benitez’s men lose this evening, they will find themselves down in fifth position and with serious questions being asked of their prospects this season.
Napoli played a dour 0-0 draw away to Sparta Prague on Thursday, enough to qualify them for the next phase of the Europa League.
Gonzalo Higuain, Marek Hamsik, Jorginho and Jose Callejon all started, so there is the risk of fatigue, while Michu, Lorenzo Insigne and Juan Camilo Zuniga are long-term absentees.
Dries Mertens returned to the squad 10 days after he was knocked unconscious during Belgium’s game with Wales, having for a few hours been unable to feel his legs due to the concussion.
He is only on the bench and surprisingly so are Jonathan de Guzman and Jorginho, as Benitez has chosen to advance left-back Faouzi Ghoulam to the left point of his supporting trident.
This does at least allow Marek Hamsik to return to his favoured more central position.
Sampdoria have caused quite a few upsets so far this season and are aiming to take another scalp on home turf, where they are unbeaten.
Argentina’s World Cup goalkeeper Sergio Romero remains between the sticks, having won his place back from Emiliano Viviano.
It will be an intriguing match-up as he takes on his international teammate Gonzalo Higuain.
Mihajlovic also pulls a few surprises in his line-up, as Manolo Gabbiadini is dropped to the bench so that Roberto Soriano can start behind Stefano Okaka and Eder.
Okaka’s form has won him a senior Italy call, scoring on his debut in a friendly against Albania, while Soriano also received his Azzurri debut last month.
A nod for 22-year-old Luca Rizzo in midfield is also a real show of confidence from the Coach.
It’s raining heavily again in Genoa, so the pitch is not in perfect condition.
Sampdoria: Romero; De Silvestri, Silvestre, Romagnoli, Mesbah; Rizzo, Palombo, Obiang; Soriano; Eder, Okaka
Sampdoria bench: Da Costa, Viviano, Duncan, Fedato, Krsticic, Gabbiadini, Sansone, Bergessio, Regini, Gastaldello, Cacciatore
Napoli: Rafael; Maggio, Albiol, Koulibaly, Britos; Inler, David Lopez; Callejon, Hamsik, Ghoulam; Higuain
Napoli bench: Colombo, Andujar, Henrique, De Guzman, Jorginho, Mertens, Mesto, Radosevic, Gargano, Duvan Zapata