Napoli vs. Juventus live stream: Watch Serie A live

Serie A leaders Napoli host defending champion Juventus on Friday, Dec. 1 at the Stadio San Paolo. Here’s what you need to know before you watch.

It’s the Scudetto showdown everyone has been waiting for this season: Napoli (12-2-0) taking on Juventus (11-1-2) in a critical clash whose outcome will have major ramifications on the title race. Should Napoli win, they would take a seven-point lead over the Old Lady. A Juventus victory would catapult them over second-place Inter Milan and within a point of the league leaders.

The San Paolo Stadium is likely to feature a sellout crowd in excess of 60,000 as Napoli put their undefeated record on the line against a Juventus side that have learned the hard way this season that there are no easy games in Serie A, falling 3-2 last month to Sampdoria in Genoa. The Napoli game represents another road contest in which Juventus could take another misstep.

Despite the pre-game hype, Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri played down the match’s importance, saying it’s just another game amid a “long season” for his team.

“The target is to get to March, still be in touch with the leading group and be ready for the final sprint,” he told reporters following last Sunday’s 3-0 win against Crotone. “We have played some excellent football, and Napoli have been extraordinary, but it’s a long season and it doesn’t really matter at this point whether you are a couple of points ahead or behind.”

On the other hand, Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri, whose side have been playing some of the most entertaining soccer in Europe this season, delighted in playing ugly in this past Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Udinese. He hopes to counter Allegri’s 4-2-3-1 lineup with a compact defense and lots of passing in the Juventus half.

“Last year, in a scrappy game … we would have been in trouble,” Sarri said after the win. “The improvement we have made this season is to win ugly games and that allows us to get the results we need even when we don’t play particularly well.”

While no one is hoping for an ugly game, the match between the Partenopei and Bianconeri is sure to be a feisty one. That intensity could be diminished a bit with the potential absence of Gonzalo Higuain. The former Napoli star-turned-Juventus ace, who fans dubbed a “rotten dirty traitor” for his move to the Old Lady in 2016, could be forced to miss the encounter after the Argentine striker underwent surgery on a broken left hand. Higuain’s status for the game remains day-to-day.

While Napoli and Juventus have been rivals for decades (reaching a climax in the late 1980s when the clashes featured Diego Maradona versus Michel Platini), the intensity has grown more intense in recent years following a series of epic league, Coppa Italia and Italian SuperCup matches. Napoli’s ascent has also made for a more bitter rivalry, although Juve have gotten the best of the Partneopei in recent years en route to winning six consecutive Serie A titles. Napoli finished second (in 2012-13 and 2015-16) during six of those seasons.

The contest will also feature two of the Serie A’s top strikers, Dries Mertens and Paulo Dybala. The Argentine striker has 12 goals to the Belgian international’s 10, but Mertens will be playing at home knowing that momentum is currently on Napoli’s side going into Friday’s game. Sarri’s 4-5-1 formation, meanwhile, will feature winger Lorenzo Insigne. The speedy striker, known for his runs down the flank, hopes to use that amazing speed and outstanding ball control to give the Juventus backline plenty to worry about.

Indeed, Juventus’ defense has not been so outstanding this season. Napoli captain Marek Hamsik told Sky Italia that his side are “more compact at the back” compared to Juventus. Napoli have given up just nine goals in 14 league matches this season compared to Juve’s 14.

“We’ve conceding fewer goals and that’s important,” he added. “Defense wins championships.”

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The match between Napoli and Juventus will be broadcast live on beIN Sports. Live streaming is also available on beIN Sports Connect, which you can access with your cable or satellite subscription, either online or through their app.

Date: Friday, Dec. 1
Start time: 2:45 p.m. ET
Location: Naples, Italy
Stadium: San Paolo Stadium
TV Info: beIN Sports
Live Stream: beIN Sports Connect, Fubo.TV

Can Napoli solidify their place atop the table or will Juventus mount a remarkable comeback with a key road win?

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