In a high-stakes UEFA Champions League league phase finale, Napoli hosts Chelsea at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on January 28, 2026. Both teams desperately need a victory: Chelsea to secure a top-eight finish and direct round-of-16 qualification, while Napoli aims to climb into playoff spots and avoid early elimination. Antonio Conte's Napoli side enters amid a slump, fresh off a 3-0 defeat to Juventus, as Liam Rosenior's Chelsea rides a wave of improved form.
The clash in Naples pits two sides in similar domestic predicaments against each other. Chelsea, currently eighth in the Champions League standings, must win to lock in their position, though goal difference could prove decisive with five teams trailing on points. A victory would cap an encouraging run under new manager Liam Rosenior, who has overseen four wins in five games, including a 3-1 Premier League triumph over Crystal Palace on Sunday that lifted the Blues to fifth in the domestic table.
Napoli, languishing in 25th, requires points to salvage their European campaign after just one win in their last six matches across competitions. Their woes deepened with Sunday's 3-0 loss to Juventus, ending an unbeaten streak since mid-December. Manager Antonio Conte, under pressure to reach the round of 16—a key seasonal goal—urged fans to rally: “Let’s focus on Chelsea who are world champions. We will do everything possible knowing that we can count on a strong ally [the fans] in the Diego Maradona Stadium.”
Pre-match tensions simmered as Conte fired back at critics. He dismissed ex-Chelsea striker Diego Costa's barbs, who called him a “bitter man with no gratitude” and suggested frustration from a lack of “sex.” Conte retorted: “I don’t care what he said. I remember that with him I won the Premier League and that he had asked to leave three times that season.” He also rebuked former Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti's post-Juventus comments labeling his team as 'former' champions: “He was disrespectful... There are still 16 games to go.”
Injuries plague both squads. Napoli misses Frank Anguissa, David Neres, Kevin De Bruyne, Billy Gilmour, Matteo Politano, and Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, though Romelu Lukaku is available. Chelsea hopes Cole Palmer returns for the bench, but Romeo Lavia, Filip Jorgensen, Dario Essugo, Levi Colwill, and Tosin Adarabioyo remain sidelined.
Historically, Chelsea holds the edge from their 2011-12 Champions League round-of-16 encounter, advancing 5-4 on aggregate. Conte has won just once in five games against his former club. Kickoff is at 8 p.m. UK time (3 p.m. ET), broadcast on TNT Sports in the UK and DAZN in Canada.
