Arsenal and Napoli face off in the opening round of Champions League group-stage action, with the visitors coming into the match on a strong four-game winning streak. The Gunners, who reached last season’s Champions League final and won the Premier League, have conceded only one goal so far this season and scored nine in total. Napoli, on the other hand, lost to Como and Inter Milan in their last two Serie A matches and sit six points behind the latter in the table.

Allegri’s challenge and Arteta’s defense

Napoli manager Massimiliano Allegri has acknowledged the difficulty of the task ahead, but “We need to get 12 points to secure qualification,” he said. “We know we’re up against a team that has just won the Premier League and reached the final of this competition. [Arsenal manager Mikel] Arteta has done well to get his defense organized and they concede very few goals.”

Allegri also reflected on his past Champions League final appearances with Juventus, where he lost both matches in 2015 and 2017, as “I had the fortune of coaching in two finals but I lost both of them,” he added.

Predicted lineups and key absences

Both teams are expected to field strong lineups, while Napoli are projected to play a 4-3-3 formation with Kevin De Bruyne returning to the midfield — Arsenal, meanwhile, are expected to use a 4-2-3-1 formation with Ezri Konsa continuing at center-back after his performance in their 2-1 win over Chelsea. Key absences for Napoli include Scott McTominay and Alessandro Buongiorno, while Arsenal’s midfield may see a change with Bruno Guimaraes possibly coming in for Myles Lewis-Skelly.

The match will take place at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples on Wednesday, September 9; In the U.S., it will be broadcast on Paramount+ in English and Univision, TUDN, and ViX in Spanish. Kickoff is at 8:00 PM BST / 3:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM PT.

Head-to-head and prediction

This will be the fifth meeting between Napoli and Arsenal in European competition, with the Gunners winning three of the previous four encounters; Opta’s supercomputer gives Arsenal a 52% chance of victory, while Napoli are given a 22% chance. The remaining 26% is reserved for a draw.

Napoli’s recent form raises questions about their ability to cope with a defensively strong Arsenal side — Arsenal’s current four-game winning streak includes a 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the Community Shield and wins over Coventry, Aston Villa, and Chelsea. Their defense, regarded as one of the best in the world, has allowed just one goal in four matches.

Allegri and Arteta will have a key role in shaping how the match unfolds, with both managers needing to find the right balance between attacking intent and defensive solidity.