PA PhotosEsteban Cambiasso could be used in defence

With Napoli sitting in second place, on 33 points, just above Inter in third, who have collected two less so far this season, Sunday's visit to the Giuseppe Meazza by the Napolese side has a lot at stake for both teams.

Juventus visit the out of form Palermo on Sunday, so are very likely to extend their tally to 38 points. This will bring added pressure to both Inter and Napoli who will be desperate to keep up the chase with the league leader. Stramaccioni rested many key players in the midweek fixture against Neftchi with this crucial game in mind. Unfortunately Walter Samuel will be absent from the game due to suspension for accumulated yellow cards. This leaves Stramaccioni with a difficult decision to make, does he risk playing the inconsistent Matias Silvestre in his three man back line alongside Andrea Ranocchia and Juan Jesus, or does he move Esteban Cambiasso into defence from his natural defensive midfield role as we've seen in previous games?

I for one would prefer to see Cambiasso play there. Silvestre has been hugely disappointing in his outings for Inter this season, and I can't see him being capable of halting any attacks that will inevitably come from Edison Cavani and Marek Hamsik. To be honest this wouldn't be easy for any defender as the two Napoli attackers are both a constant threat to any goal.

With Cambiasso in defence, I imagine Stramaccioni will opt for a five man midfield. Javier Zanetti and Alvaro Pereira on the wings, playing more of a defensive role than we are used to seeing from Inter's wing-backs. Napoli are known for building up their attacks using the width of their team, especially down their right flank, which is why I'm expecting to see Pereira played instead of the more attack minded Yuto Nagatomo.

In the centre of the midfield I would like to see Walter Gargano playing the role of anchorman to help cover the defence and limit the space that his former teammate Hamsik is allowed in the centre. Either side of him I would chose Fredy Guarin and Nagatomo, both have useful defensive qualities to help Inter win the midfield battles, but both can also play further up the pitch creating a vital link between the midfield and the Nerazzurri forwards.

For Inter's attack pairing I would like to see Antonio Cassano or Rodrigo Palacio and Diego Milito start the game, both Cassano and Palacio are able to play deeper to help in retrieving the ball while also being a threat to Napoli's goal. Even though Milito hasn't exactly been in fantastic form recently I have opted for him to start because he is a player who always plays at his best in big matches, and with what's at stake in this game it is inevitably one of the biggest games of this season.

If for some reason Milito doesn't perform well, I believe the ideal substitution for him would be Thursday night's hero Marko Livaja, who I would like to see gain more first team opportunities.

Whoever plays for Inter in this game it is guaranteed to be a tough one for the Nerazzurri, against a Napoli side that, this season, is of pretty much an equal standing to Inter. The visitors have a slight edge in their recent form which marginally better than Inter's with three wins, two draws and a loss compared to the Nerazzurri's three wins, one draw and two losses.

Even head to head across all competitions, Napoli are considered to be favourites, after winning the last three games against the Nerazzurri and keeping a clean sheet each time. I suppose it could be argued that they have not yet pitted themselves against this new Inter so all previous stats are irrelevant, but most of their squad have been playing together for a few seasons now so should be considered a more solid unit than the one Inter possesses after just playing together for a few months.

Only time will tell who will walk away from this match in second place, but it should be an thrilling game to watch with the potential for many goals being scored, though with how similar these two teams have been in form this season, I wouldn't be surprised to see a 2-2 draw by the final whistle, making a title challenge this season for both clubs a more difficult prospect.

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