Inter Milan’s perfect start to the Serie A season will be tested by SSC Napoli at San Siro on Saturday, with the latest betting assessment pointing towards an open contest featuring more than 25.5 total shots at odds of 1.83.
The third-round meeting between the last two Italian champions is scheduled for 5 September 2026 at 16:00 GMT. Nasser Eddy, an NCI Sport consultant and presenter of the European Champions League on radio Nostalgie, has assessed the form, statistics and possible betting angles ahead of the match.
Inter Milan in early control
Inter Milan have won both of their opening league fixtures, beating Monza 4-1 before recording a 1-0 victory away at Cagliari last Sunday. Those results leave Christian Chivu’s side joint top of the table alongside five other teams.
The Nerazzurri are unbeaten since the start of their pre-season programme in July. Before the two competitive matches, they played five friendlies without suffering defeat.
Their defensive record has been particularly notable, despite the departures of goalkeeper Yann Sommer and defenders Denzel Dumfries, Stefan De Vrij and Matteo Darmian. Inter Milan have not conceded more than one goal in any match this season.
The club appear to have addressed those departures effectively in the transfer market. Manuel Akanji has been retained, Benjamin Pavard has returned from a loan spell, while John Stones, Djed Spence and goalkeeper Ivan Provedel have arrived.
Inter Milan have also started matches aggressively in attack. They opened the scoring inside the first 10 minutes against both Monza and Cagliari, with Hakan Calhanoglu responsible on each occasion. Their shot volume has been high too, with 31 attempts against Cagliari and 13 in the opening stages of the match against Monza, giving them an average of 22 shots per league game.
Lautaro Martinez and his team-mates will hope that fast start can unsettle SSC Napoli at San Siro.
SSC Napoli aiming to recover
SSC Napoli face a difficult challenge after losing 2-1 at home to Como at the Diego Maradona Stadium on Sunday. The defeat came after they had begun their campaign with a 2-0 win away at Genoa.
That leaves the reigning runners-up with one victory and one defeat from their opening two Serie A matches. Their pre-season had been more encouraging, with three wins, one draw and one defeat from five fixtures.
SSC Napoli remain an ambitious side who look to play on the front foot. Kevin De Bruyne has taken on an influential role as the experienced playmaker, while the team have averaged 13 shots per game in their past two matches.
Rasmus Højlund and his team-mates have scored in every match since returning to action, including in the defeat by Como. Massimiliano Allegri’s squad has been substantially reduced during the close season, and the side may not appear capable of matching its level from recent campaigns. However, quality remains available across every area of the team.
Head-to-head record
The last 40 meetings between Inter Milan and SSC Napoli have produced a closely balanced record. Inter Milan have won 12, SSC Napoli have won 13 and the other 15 matches have ended in draws.
The Nerazzurri have not beaten SSC Napoli in their past five meetings. Their most recent encounter at San Siro, on 11 January 2026, ended in a 2-2 draw.
There has also been no goalless draw between the clubs in their past 19 matches, a sequence that remains active.
Ange-Yoan Bonny hoping for an opportunity
Ange-Yoan Bonny is entering his second season with Inter Milan after making his debut for Cote d’Ivoire at the World Cup. The 22-year-old striker faces an important stage in his development as he tries to secure more opportunities in a squad containing Lautaro Martinez, Marcus Thuram and Pio Esposito.
Bonny has yet to make a significant impact in the first two league games. He played just over 30 minutes against Monza and was an unused substitute in the win at Cagliari.
He is expected to begin on the bench again against SSC Napoli, although he will hope to earn some playing time with Herve Renard due to announce his next Cote d’Ivoire squad in the coming days for the opening fixtures of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
Key figures and betting prices
Inter Milan have taken six points from their first two league matches and remain unbeaten in all competitions since the season began. They have conceded no more than one goal in any game, have scored first within the opening 10 minutes of both league matches and are averaging 22 shots per game.
SSC Napoli have one win and one defeat from their two league fixtures. They enjoyed a positive pre-season with three victories in five games, are averaging 13 shots per league match and have scored at least once in every game since the restart.
The listed 1xBet prices connected to those figures are:
- Draw: 3.96 - Both teams to score – Yes: 1.96 - Inter Milan to score the first goal: 1.54 - Total shots at goal – over 25.5: 1.83
Despite Inter Milan’s flawless league record and SSC Napoli’s home defeat last weekend, the wider statistics and recent history suggest a tightly contested match. The expert prediction is for a draw, priced at 3.96, with both teams also expected to score at 1.96.
Inter Milan are priced at 1.54 to score the opening goal, while more than 25.5 total shots is available at 1.83.
Inter Milan v SSC Napoli begins at 16:00 GMT on Saturday, 5 September 2026.
Odds may change.