Inter's huge tussle with Serie A title rivals Napoli on Sunday could be season-defining, Nerazzurri head coach Cristian Chivu has acknowledged. 

Inter are three points clear of rivals AC Milan at the top of the table, after 18 matches, while defending champions Napoli are one point back of the Rossoneri in third place.

The Opta supercomputer makes Chivu's men the overwhelming Scudetto favourites, with 72.8% of the model's season predictions seeing them top the Serie A table.

Napoli are second-favourites at 13%, ahead of Milan (9.6%), Juventus (2.6%), Roma (1.7%) and Como (0.3%).

Sunday's showdown at San Siro promises to be box-office viewing, particularly after Conte became embroiled in a war of words with the Inter hierarchy earlier this season.

Conte – who has repeatedly described Inter as the title favourites – clashed with Lautaro Martinez during the reverse fixture in October, which Napoli won 3-1.

Conte then accused Inter president Giuseppe Marotta of attempting to influence referees after the game, but Chivu insisted there is no bad blood between himself and the Napoli boss, while acknowledging the importance of the match.

"I have great respect for Conte as a coach. I faced him even when I was still playing. I congratulated him on what he managed to transmit to his team," Chivu said.

"We want to go seven clear, they want to go one behind us. The only certainty we have is that we have always worked well during this period. 

"This team has always had desire and ambition. Maybe we'll have even more tomorrow. We are aware that it is a match that could influence the trajectory of the season."

Asked about Napoli's qualities, Chivu added: "They have changed their system and also some players. They have a strong squad and intensity.

"It will be a difficult match for both sides, a football game in which maximum focus will be on everyone's minds, to make as few mistakes as possible. 

"It will be a game of moments, which is normal when you face teams of a certain level."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Inter – Lautaro Martinez

Martinez has scored four goals against Napoli in Serie A, with all of them coming in his first seven encounters with the Partenopei in the competition. 

However, in his last eight league games against them, he has only provided one assist and has not scored a single goal. 

The Nerazzurri striker has been involved in 90 shots in Serie A this season (66 shots and 24 chances created), with only Como's breakout star Nico Paz (96) registering more shot involvements this term.

Napoli – Scott McTominay 

McTominay has scored two goals in his three Serie A matches against Inter, netting once at San Siro in November 2024 and again in the reverse fixture at the Stadio Armando Maradona last October. 

Inter could now become the first team in the competition that McTominay has scored against in three separate matches.

MATCH PREDICTION – INTER WIN

Napoli are unbeaten in their last four Serie A matches against Inter (W1 D3). In the three-points-for-a-win era, they have only enjoyed a longer run of games without losing against the Nerazzurri once, going six without defeat between May 2013 and November 2015.

And after winning the reverse fixture 3-1 in October, Napoli are looking to win back-to-back matches against the Nerazzurri for the first time since 2016-17, under Maurizio Sarri.

But on home soil, Inter are unbeaten in their last eight meetings with Napoli in Serie A (W5 D3), though the most recent two have been drawn; the last time Napoli beat them at San Siro was in April 2017, a 1-0 win with the only goal coming from Jose Callejon.

Since 2000, Inter have only won two of their 19 games against Napoli during the second half of Serie A seasons (D9 L8), but they will be confident of taking three points this time around.

While Napoli are still battling a lengthy injury list, Inter have won 14 of their first 18 games of a Serie A season for only the seventh time, and the fifth in the three-points-for-a-win era.

They have reached 15 wins in 19 matches on four previous occasions, winning the Scudetto every time they have done so.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Inter – 53.4%

Napoli – 21.8%

Draw – 24.8%