Antonio Conte believes playing twice a week will be “the moment of truth” for Napoli, who visit Fiorentina in Serie A on Saturday before travelling to Manchester City in the Champions League next week.
After a comfortable 2-0 win against Sassuolo in their opening game of the season, Napoli required a last-gasp goal from Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa to secure a 1-0 victory over Cagliari prior to the international break.
They then strengthened their attacking options on transfer deadline day, signing out-of-favour Manchester United forward Rasmus Hojlund on a season-long loan.
Napoli enter Saturday’s game unbeaten in 14 league matches since February, and the Partenopei’s record against Fiorentina makes for pleasant viewing, having avoided defeat in their last seven league visits to the Stadio Artemio Franchi, losing just once in their last 15 trips.
Fiorentina, who have won only two of their last 10 Serie A encounters with Napoli, are yet to register a league win this season, beginning with two draws.
Our last-minute goal scorer wins August’s POTM powered by @MSC_Crociere!
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— Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) September 8, 2025
Discussing his side’s schedule following the international break, Conte said: “It’s the moment of truth. Yes, we will start playing every three days and it will certainly be a complex season for us.
“In the first two games, we relied on certainties. Now every three days there will be new players to be inserted and clearly we will need a little patience and understanding if there are mistakes.
“We will have to be patient and insert them. The new ones also arrive with great expectations, wearing the shirt with the Scudetto badge. We must be tolerant in judgments if things do not go well.”
Napoli will visit the Etihad Stadium for their Champions League curtain-raiser on Thursday. Fiorentina, meanwhile, must wait until October to start their Conference League campaign.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Fiorentina – Moise Kean
Kean has logged more Serie A minutes without scoring against Napoli than any other side (302), yet since the beginning of last season, he has netted more goals at home than any other player in the league (13).
Napoli – Matteo Politano
Politano has scored four Serie A goals against Fiorentina, only scoring more against AC Milan (six) and Genoa (five).
After already registering one assist this season, he only needs a goal to make it 11 straight Serie A campaigns with at least one goal and one assist.
The only other players to have managed this across each of the last 10 seasons are Piotr Zielinski and Paulo Dybala.
MATCH PREDICTION: NAPOLI WIN
Napoli have recorded 54 Serie A victories against Fiorentina, a joint-record for them in the competition, having also beaten Lazio 54 times.
Fiorentina, however, have 55 Serie A wins over Napoli, and only against Bologna (58) have they registered more.
Napoli have won six of their last seven Serie A matches immediately following an international break, with the sole exception being a 3-0 loss to Atalanta on March 30, 2024.
Fiorentina began this season with two straight draws and could now equal their longest such streak, having only previously drawn their first three league matches in 1936-37 (which included one against Napoli) and 2024-25.
Defensively, Conte’s men have been among Serie A’s strongest sides this season, allowing just 18 touches in their penalty area across the opening two matchdays, level with Roma, while also conceding only six shots from inside their box, the fewest in the league.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Fiorentina – 29.3%
Draw – 28.8%
Napoli – 41.9%