The Round 8 match of the group stage of the 2025/26 Champions League between Napoli (Italy) and Chelsea (England) will take place on 28 January at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples. Napoli vs Chelsea: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Napoli
Napoli are in a very dangerous position. In the last Champions League round the team managed only a draw away at Copenhagen (1:1), despite playing with a numerical advantage for a whole hour. As a result the team dropped out of the play-off zone, falling to 25th place in the table. The home side trail three rivals only on tiebreakers, but it is possible that only a win will be enough for the club to reach the knockout stage. In the event of a draw everything will depend on the results of parallel matches. The home side have won only 1 of their last 5 Champions League matches; overall after 7 rounds of the group stage they have 2 wins and 8 points.
- The team conceded in 7 of their previous 9 Champions League matches.
- Napoli have failed to lose in 9 of their last 11 home matches against English clubs in European competitions (8 wins, 1 draw).
- The home side scored in 23 of their previous 24 home matches in the Champions League.
Potential Napoli Lineup (3-4-3)
Alex Meret – Alessandro Buongiorno, Juan Jesus, Giovanni Di Lorenzo – Miguel Gutierrez, Stanislav Lobotka, Scott McTominay, Leonardo Spinazzola – Elif Elmaz, Rasmus Hojlund, Antonio Vergara.
Goalkeeper Vanja Milinković-Savić, defender Amir Rrahmani, midfielders André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Billy Gilmour and Kevin De Bruyne, as well as forwards Matteo Politano and David Neres will miss the match due to injuries. Forwards Noa Lang and Lorenzo Lucca have left the club.
Chelsea
Chelsea secured a hard-fought but important victory over Pafos (1:0) last Wednesday. After the match the club moved into the top eight and guaranteed at least a place in the play-offs. Nevertheless the table is very tight, so remaining in the top eight will probably only be possible if the club beats Napoli. In the current Champions League season the club have yet to win away, collecting 12 of their 13 points at home. At the same time the club have lost only 2 of their last 12 matches in the group or overall stage of the Champions League (8 wins, 2 draws), and in their previous 20 European matches the visitors have recorded 16 wins.
- The club scored in all 7 matches in the current Champions League campaign.
- Chelsea have lost 6 of their last 7 away matches against Italian clubs in UEFA competitions.
- At least 3 goals were scored in 4 of the club's last 5 Champions League matches.
Potential Chelsea Lineup (4-5-1)
Robert Sanchez – Marc Cucurella, Trevoh Chalobah, Reece James, Benoit Badiashile – Enzo Fernandez, Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo, Estevao, Pedro Neto – Liam Delap.
Defenders Levi Colwill and Tosin Adarabioyo, as well as midfielder Romeo Lavia will miss the match due to injuries. Midfielder Cole Palmer has returned from injury.
Referee
Clément Turpin (France)
Matches – 8 (International matches, 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 33;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.1;
Red cards shown – 2;
Fouls per match on average – 24;
Penalties – 75%.
Napoli vs Chelsea: Match Prediction
Napoli have shown average results in the Champions League, collecting only 2 wins after 7 rounds. For qualification to the knockout stage the team urgently needs at least 1 point; ideally they must press for the maximum. It is very important that the decisive match takes place at home. The home side have not lost any of their three home matches in the current Champions League season, earning 7 points out of 9 possible. In this European competition Napoli have suffered only 1 defeat in their last 20 matches in front of home supporters.
Chelsea also have clear motivation, as the club need a victory to preserve a place in the direct qualification zone for the round of 16. However in the current European campaign the club have previously only won at home, with their last 3 away matches yielding just 1 point. Overall Chelsea have failed to win in five away Champions League matches (1 draw, 4 defeats).
Prediction: Napoli Double Chance
