Napoli come into this one with the kind of quiet menace that makes you sit up. The Stadio Diego Armando Maradona is a fortress, and the Partenopei know it. Recent form has been steady, not spectacular, but there's a rhythm building under the hood. The midfield trio of Lobotka, McTominay, and Anguissa is the engine room — they don't just control games, they strangle them. At home, Napoli tend to start fast, press high, and dare you to breathe. That's a nightmare for any away side, let alone one still finding its feet at this level.

Como, though, are no pushovers. Cesc Fàbregas has them playing with a boldness that's rare for a newly-promoted side. They drew 1-1 away at Udinese on Matchday 1, with four summer signings debuting — that tells you they're not here to just survive. They've added serious firepower: Morata and Nico Paz, plus Mattia Liberali from Catanzaro. This is a club with European ambitions, literally — they're in the Champions League for the first time in their history. But that's also the trap. Ambition can become naivety when you walk into the Maradona and try to play out from the back.

Momentum is with the hosts. Napoli have that look of a side that's been sharpened in pre-season and is ready to make a statement. Como, for all their talent, are still gelling. Four new signings in the starting XI means chemistry is a work in progress. Away from home, against a top-four side, that's a recipe for being overrun in the first half-hour.