Returning to the Roma bench for a third stint, Claudio Ranieri will guide the Giallorossi into Sunday’s Serie A clash against Napoli.

Enticed out of retirement to salvage his hometown club, Ranieri now faces Antonio Conte’s table-topping side in the season’s first Derby del Sole.Following a string of poor performances and growing unrest, Roma’s management dismissed Ivan Juric during the international break. The Croatian’s brief tenure ended after four losses in his final five league matches, including consecutive 3-2 defeats to Hellas Verona and Bologna, which pushed the club to seek new leadership. In a move that appeased the club’s frustrated supporters, Rome-born Ranieri agreed to return to management, having retired after securing Cagliari’s Serie A survival last summer. With a 56% win rate, only Luciano Spalletti and Rudi Garcia have fared better as Roma managers in Serie A. However, Ranieri inherits a team struggling for form, sitting 12th in the standings with just three league wins and languishing in 20th place in the Europa League rankings, four points off a top-eight spot.Roma’s away form compounds their troubles. They are winless in their last nine Serie A games on the road and have claimed fewer points away from home this season than all but Lecce, Venezia, and Verona.

Napoli and Roma played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in April, but the Giallorossi have not won at Stadio Maradona in six league visits, a drought that stretches back to 2018. Despite leading the standings, Napoli’s advantage has been trimmed to one point, with five teams in close pursuit in what promises to be a thrilling title race. Antonio Conte’s side earned a 1-1 draw against Inter Milan before the break, with Scott McTominay scoring for the visitors and Hakan Calhanoglu missing a penalty for the Nerazzurri. Prior to that, Napoli suffered a rare 3-0 home defeat to Atalanta, ending a streak of 21 consecutive home league wins. Conte has only once endured back-to-back home defeats in Serie A, during his stint with Atalanta in 2009.Conte will approach Sunday’s match with a focus on Napoli’s title ambitions, leaving little room for sentiment as he faces Ranieri.Roma are set to miss Paulo Dybala, who is likely to start on the bench due to lingering muscle issues. Without Dybala, the Giallorossi’s win rate drops by 13%, though top scorer Artem Dovbyk is expected to play despite a knee concern. Alexis Saelemaekers has returned to training, but Eldor Shomurodov and Mario Hermoso remain sidelined.For Napoli, Romelu Lukaku—who netted 21 goals for Roma on loan last season—has been directly involved in four goals in five matches against his former side and will lead their attack. Conte’s squad is otherwise fully fit, with Stanislav Lobotka in line to replace Billy Gilmour in midfield and Leonardo Spinazzola competing with Mathias Olivera at left back.

While Ranieri faces a daunting task to revive Roma’s season, Napoli’s cohesion and quality make them firm favorites. The Partenopei will aim to solidify their lead at the top, likely securing another home victory as they resume their title charge.

Best Tip : Napoli win or draw

Correct score: 2-0