PREDICTED LINE-UPS | Sassuolo v Napoli | OneFootball

Napoli begin their Scudetto defence this weekend against newly promoted Sassuolo at Mapei Stadium.

Napoli were pushed hard by Inter last season for the Scudetto as the Partenopei approached the final matchday just one point clear of the Nerazzurri and needing just a home win over Cagliari to seal the Serie A title. There was no upset for Napoli as goals from Scott McTominay and Romelu Lukaku helped them cruise to their fourth Italian top-flight triumph.

Antonio Conte intends to defend the title successfully and has already persuaded the club to bring in new faces, including former Manchester City stalwart Kevin De Bruyne. Giacomo Raspadori and Giovanni Simeone are set to depart Napoli soon, and this has opened up the chance for Lorenzo Lucca to deputise upfront.

Meanwhile, Sassuolo come into this match after clinching the Serie B title last campaign. Their previous top-flight stint ended in horror as they finished 19th in the league standings, 13 points above rock bottom Salernitana. Fabio Grosso is handed the job of securing survival this season, and he will be aiming for a strong start for a solid base to avoid a relegation dogfight at the end of the season.

Newcomers Stefano Turati and Arijanet Muric will compete against each other for a goalkeeping spot. Armand Lauriente is set to partner upfront with Domenico Berardi and Andrea Pinamonti.

Here are the predicted line-ups for the match:

Sassuolo (4-3-3): Turati; Walukiewicz, Cande, Idzes, Doig; Ghion, Boloca, Kone; Berardi, Pinamonti, Lauriente.

Napoli (4-2-3-1): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Beukema, Olivera; Lobotka, Anguissa; Politano, De Bruyne, McTominay; Lucca.

Trambak Bhattacherjee | GIFN