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Napoli sit third in Serie A before the trip to Juventus, holding a four-point cushion over Luciano Spalletti's side in sixth. Both teams see this meeting as a marker of their progress, with the champions aiming to stay close to the summit and Juventus trying to tighten the gap. Lukaku has not played a competitive minute this season after a thigh problem late in pre-season, yet the forward still carries weight in the squad after scoring 14 league goals during last season's title run, more than any other Napoli player and the joint-fifth highest return in Serie A. Hojlund explained that Lukaku's influence has already been clear around the training ground since returning from treatment in Belgium, and suggested that competition and partnership between the two strikers could help Napoli maintain momentum in the title race as the season reaches a decisive phase. "He [Lukaku] helped me a lot so far, since he's come back from the recovery in Belgium, he's been around the group a good bit," Hojlund told DAZN Italia. "We complement each other on the pitch. It could be a good thing both as a competitor for places, but also playing alongside each other. It's not for me to decide, but when I get asked if we can play together, I say yes. I don't see why we shouldn't be able to do it." The Juventus threat again includes Kenan Yildiz, who scored in the reverse league meeting and could join Cristiano Ronaldo, Alessandro Del Piero, Darko Kovacevic and Fabrizio Ravanelli as the fifth Juventus player in the three-points-for-a-win era to score in both Serie A fixtures against Napoli in the same campaign. Yildiz has already matched last season's league output, producing seven goals and four assists across 20 Serie A appearances. That equals his total from the whole of the previous campaign, when the Turkish forward needed 35 matches to reach the same combined figure for goals and assists. On the Napoli side, Hojlund again carries focus after hitting a brace in the reverse fixture in December. Another goal here would place Hojlund alongside Marek Hamsik and Lorenzo Insigne as only the third Napoli player in the three-points-per-win era to score in both league meetings with Juventus in a single season.

The Danish forward is, however, searching for form in front of goal, having gone five Serie A games without scoring. Hojlund has not experienced a run of six league matches without a goal since April to May 2023, during the period with Atalanta, so this match offers a chance to halt that sequence. Juventus vs Napoli head-to-head and prediction Both clubs bring strong home records into this contest. Juventus are one of only two Serie A teams, along with Napoli, still unbeaten at home in the league this season, and the Bianconeri are currently on a 14-match home unbeaten streak in Serie A with 10 wins and four draws. Napoli's record on their own ground is even longer, as the champions are on a 21-game home unbeaten run in the league. However, the historical numbers between these sides still favour Juventus, with Napoli having lost more Serie A matches to Juventus than to any other opponent, and also conceding 229 goals, the joint-most they have allowed against a single club along with Inter. Recent meetings tell a different story. Juventus have taken only one win from the last nine league fixtures against Napoli, with two draws and six defeats, after previously winning five of the previous eight. The Bianconeri have also lost the last two Serie A clashes between the pair, both 2-1, and a third straight defeat here would repeat runs from 1986-87 and 2009-11. Hojlund underlined how much is at stake for Napoli and Juventus in terms of league position and belief. "I'm waiting for a really important game for us, but also for them. It's a chance for us to again prove we belong at the top of the table," added Hojlund. "Juventus has been doing really well under the new manager and we're looking forward to go there and hopefully prove ourselves again."

  Pre-match models lean towards the hosts. Juventus are rated as favourites to win, with a draw and away success seen as less likely outcomes based on recent form, home advantage and long-term records in this fixture. Below is a breakdown of the Opta assessment for the Juventus vs Napoli match.

Outcome	Opta win probability
Juventus	47.3%
Draw	27.8%
Napoli	24.9%

As Juventus and Napoli prepare to meet, the numbers highlight Juventus' slight edge, but the champions' strong recent record in direct contests, Hojlund's possible response after a scoreless spell and the looming return of Lukaku all add intrigue to a fixture carrying major weight near the top of Serie A.