Inter and Napoli settled the biggest question before kick-off at 18:00 at San Siro: both clubs left Hakan Calhanoglu and Kevin De Bruyne out of their starting lineups for Inter-Napoli. The official teams were out before the first whistle, and the night’s headline became clear immediately. Cristian Chivu went with J. Martinez; Bisseck, Akanji, Bastoni; Diouf, Barella, Zielinski, Sucic, Dimarco; Lautaro Martinez and P. Esposito in a 3-5-2, while Napoli named Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Marin, Spinazzola; Anguissa, Lobotka, Vergara; Politano, Hojlund, Alisson Santos in a 4-3-3.
That is why this match was drawing attention before a ball was kicked. Inter arrived with two wins from two league matches, six goals scored and one conceded, while Napoli came in with one win and one loss from its opening games against Genoa and Como. The lineups also showed where the coaches were willing to hold something back: Chivu rested Calhanoglu despite his strong start to the season, and Napoli did the same with De Bruyne in a meeting that already carried the feel of an early marker in the title race.
The decision in Inter’s back line was just as telling. Chivu picked Akanji in central defense instead of handing John Stones a first start, and he kept faith with the front pairing of Lautaro Martinez and Pio Esposito for a third straight match. That continuity matters because it says Inter is not treating this as a night for experiments, even with a direct rivalry game and a demanding schedule ahead.
There is also a simple friction point beneath the clean lineup sheet: one coach chose to rest a key midfielder who had started the season strongly. Calhanoglu’s omission was not forced by the match itself, but by management of the run ahead. Inter’s next major step is a Champions League debut at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid on August 8 at 21:00, while Napoli heads toward its own Champions League debut against Arsenal at the Maradona. The official appointments were already set too, with Simone Sozza of the Seregno section as referee, Giorgio Peretti and Giovanni Baccini as assistants, Doveri fourth official, Aleandro Di Paolo on VAR and Federico Dionisi on AVAR. For a match that opened the season’s first direct clash between the sides, the teams arrived with the loudest statement made before kickoff: both were willing to leave star power on the bench.
