Sassuolo vs Napoli: Serie A Prediction (23.08.2025)

On Saturday, August 23 at 18.30 CEST, at the Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia, local club Sassuolo will host Napoli in the opening match of the 2025-2026 Serie A season. The hosts return to the top division after winning the Serie B title. Meanwhile, Napoli were the best team in Italy’s top flight last season. Symbolically, the opening round features the champions of the two divisions.

In the Sassuolo – Napoli match, bookmakers clearly see Napoli as the favorite. A Sassuolo win is valued at odds of 6.45, a draw at 4.05, while a Napoli victory stands at 1.57. Football analysts do not expect this match to be high-scoring: over 2.5 goals is priced at 1.95, while both teams to score is offered at 1.98.

Sassuolo

Fabio Grosso’s team has strengthened its defensive line this summer. In Serie B, Sassuolo’s defense looked solid, conceding only 38 goals in 38 matches. However, that level of performance may not be enough for Serie A. For comparison, Napoli conceded just 27 goals in the same number of matches last season, facing much tougher opposition.

The bigger issue for Sassuolo seems to be in attack. Preseason friendlies showed that the team struggles to score. Even in the 1/32 finals of the Coppa Italia, against modest Catanzaro, they managed to score only once. That was enough to win, but against stronger opponents it will likely be insufficient.

Napoli

Antonio Conte’s side begins their title defense. The squad has undergone interesting changes that have already shown an impact in friendlies. This summer, Napoli earned a large sum by finally selling Victor Osimhen to Galatasaray, and also sent Giacomo Raspadori to Atletico Madrid. The funds allowed the club to bring in several quality signings.

The most eye-catching transfer, however, is Kevin De Bruyne joining as a free agent from Manchester City. The experienced Belgian midfielder has already made his mark, scoring twice against Girona in a friendly match.

Stats and Head-to-Head Record

Since 2022, the teams have met five times, with Napoli winning all of them. Across those matches, Napoli scored 20 goals (!) and conceded only two.

Prediction

Sassuolo fans would love to see their team celebrate their Serie A return with a victory. However, the opening-round draw was not kind to them. The prediction is a Napoli win at odds of 1.57.