Napoli vs Chelsea Predictions, Lineups & Betting Tips

Napoli vs Chelsea Predictions, Lineups & Betting Tips

Match Details: January 28, 2026 | Stadio Diego Armando Maradona | UEFA Champions League | 20:00 GMT

Liam Rosenior's Chelsea travel to southern Italy to face Napoli, who are led by their old manager, Antonio Conte. Both sides will be desperate for a result, with hosts needing the points to earn a play-off spot and avoid an immensely disappointing Champions League campaign, as Chelsea vie to maintain their spot in the top eight to qualify for the Round of 16 automatically.

Essentially, prepare for both sides to throw everything at grabbing a result in this game, which should hopefully provide us with action at both ends for the neutrals to enjoy.

Key Betting Tips: BTTS @ 1.70 odds on Coral, 1.67 odds on QuinnBet, 1.62 odds on BoyleSports or 1.61 odds on Kwiff all represent good value based on the tip provided by Football Park's advanced algorithm.

Both teams possess serious attacking quality, but have looked vulnerable at the back at times recently as well, so opting for BTTS in a game in which both teams will be throwing the kitchen sink at a win seems like the best bet at these odds.

Napoli vs Chelsea Predicted Lineups

Napoli Predicted XI (3-4-2-1): Alex Meret; Alessandro Buongiorno, Juan Jesus, Giovanni Di Lorenzo; Miguel Gutiérrez, Scott McTominay, Stanislav Lobotka, Leonardo Spinazzola; Eljif Elmas, Antonio Vergara; Rasmus Højlund

The hosts are missing plenty of key players through injury, especially in the midfield areas of the pitch, with Kevin de Bruyne, Billy Gilmour and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa all missing. Wingers David Neres and Matteo Politano are also sidelined, while the injury list is completed by defender Amir Rrahmani.

Chelsea Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Robert Sánchez; Jorrel Hato, Benoît Badiashile, Wesley Fofana, Malo Gusto; Moises Caicedo, Reece James; Alejandro Garnacho, Enzo Fernández, Pedro Neto; Liam Delap

Chelsea have a few absences of their own, but their infamous squad depth means that they can still field a strong side. Romeo Lavia remains out for the time being, with defenders Tosin Adarabioyo and Levi Colwill also unfit to play this game. Dario Essugo has come into the team sheets in recent weeks but has picked up a knock, while Cole Palmer's fitness is in doubt amid rumours that he is unhappy at the club, having missed out on their win against Pafos.

Napoli vs Chelsea Current League Standings

Napoli have had a disappointing Champions League campaign up to this point, and are at risk of failing to qualify for the play-offs. They currently occupy 25th, one place behind the elimination cutoff, so failing to pick up points here will likely condemn them to an early exit from Europe. They've really lacked consistency throughout the tournament so far, failing to beat 10-man Copenhagen in their last game, which left manager Antonio Conte understandably fuming. It's vital that they put in a significantly improved performance against Chelsea, otherwise it'll be a resounding disappointment of a European campaign for Napoli.

Liam Rosenior's side are in eighth place as we enter this game, meaning a positive result will confirm their qualification for the Round of 16, bypassing the play-offs which could be vital in avoiding fixture congestion and protecting player fitness. Though they have a 100% win rate under the new gaffer in the Champions League (one win from one), most of the credit for their good position belongs to Enzo Maresca. That won't matter to Chelsea though, who have their eyes firmly fixed on finishing in the top eight, though it won't be an easy ask, as there are plenty of sides queuing up behind them ready to snatch their place if they slip up at all.

Napoli vs Chelsea Head-to-Head Timeline

Just the two meetings between these two in their histories, despite both being UEFA competition regulars, having faced off in the Round of 16 back in 2012, the year that Chelsea won their first Champions League title. It ended up being a goal-fest, with Chelsea overcoming a two goal defecit in the second leg thanks to goalscoring heroics from club legends Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic. If we get a game that's half as entertaining this time around then we're in for a treat.

Recent Head-to-Head Results:

• March 14, 2012: Chelsea 4-1 Napoli (UEFA Champions League)
• February 21, 2012: Napoli 3-1 Chelsea (UEFA Champions League)

Napoli and Chelsea Recent Matches Analysis

Napoli Last 5 Matches:

• Napoli 0-3 Juventus (A) - Serie A
• Napoli 1-1 FC København (H) - UEFA Champions League
• Napoli 1-0 Sassuolo (H) - Serie A
• Napoli 0-0 Parma (H) - Serie A
• Napoli 2-2 Inter (A) - Serie A

Napoli's form has been very concerning lately, earning just one win in their last five and suffering a heavy defeat at the hands of Juventus in their last outing. It'll be interesting to see how they plan to turn things around as Conte prepares to face his former side, with their recent defensive record being ripped to tatters in their last game. Four goals scored and six conceded in their last five is an unacceptable record according to Napoli fans, and rightfully so when you consider the trophy-led ambitions of the club, so an immediate improvement against a European giant is required to rescue their campaign.

Chelsea Last 5 Matches:

• Chelsea 3-1 Crystal Palace (A) - Premier League
• Chelsea 1-0 Pafos (H) - UEFA Champions League
• Chelsea 2-0 Brentford (H) - Premier League
• Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal (H) - EFL Cup
• Chelsea 5-1 Charlton Athletic (A) - FA Cup

Life under Liam has seen some positive results in Chelsea's favour, but some have argued that their performances haven't been convincing enough, particularly their wins against Pafos and Brentford. Chelsea fans won't really be bothered, though, as they've taken four wins from their last five, only faltering against an excellent Arsenal side in the EFL Cup semis. This will be the second real test for Rosenior, and this result will decide whether Blues fans have a reason to be excited for the rest of the season, or if they should prepare for a long drag from now until May.

Napoli vs Chelsea Predictions

Our advanced algorithm analyses over 200 data points to generate these predictions with a 60.00% confidence in BTTS. The model factors in current form, head-to-head records, player availability, and tactical matchups.

Best Napoli vs Chelsea Betting Tips

Football Park’s Best Bet: BTTS @ 1.70 odds on Coral - Backing either side feels like too much of a risk as we don't know which Chelsea will turn up on the day, but opting for both sides to find the net seems like a better option with decent odds.

Key Players to Watch: Napoli vs Chelsea

Scott McTominay (Napoli): McTominay's remarkable season has been well documented, popping up as the hero for both Napoli and Scotland on what has felt like a weekly basis. He's gone from strength to strength since leaving England, and will look to punish a side that he has a history of finding the net against. This lad is certainly a big game player, so if anyone is going to be the man to save Napoli in this game, it'll be McTominay.

Enzo Fernández (Chelsea): Enzo has been so important for Chelsea that people seem to forget just how much he cost them this time three years ago, becoming a central component to Maresca's set-up, and still looking just as strong now under Rosenior. With two goals and two assists in his last five games, Enzo is likely to cause a lot of trouble from the midfield against Napoli, and it'll be quite the task for his opponents to keep him quiet in this one.

Napoli vs Chelsea Match Facts

Broadcast Details: TNT Sports 4, discovery+ UK

Referee: N/A

Stadium Information: Located in Naples, Italy, Stadio Diego Armando Maradona has a capacity of 54,726 and was named after the legendary Argentinian who was a hero for Napoli and a staple of the club's history.

Napoli vs Chelsea: Final Prediction

Napoli 2-1 Chelsea