Napoli host Arsenal at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Wednesday in the opening round of the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League season. The match is scheduled to kick off at 4:00 pm Brasilia time in Naples as both clubs begin their campaign in Europe's elite club competition.
Napoli enter the fixture under pressure following an irregular opening to their domestic campaign in Serie A. After securing a 2-0 win over Genoa in their league opener, the Italian side suffered consecutive defeats against Como, losing 2-1, and Inter Milan, losing 3-2. The team are aiming to recover their form in front of their home supporters in Naples.
Head coach Massimiliano Allegri will also be without midfielder Scott McTominay for the midweek match. Allegri, who previously won six Serie A titles with Juventus, took over at Napoli to guide the club through their domestic and European fixtures. McTominay, a Scotland international who joined the Italian side from Manchester United, is ruled out as a key absence for the host squad.
Arsenal form and European ambitions
In contrast, Arsenal arrive in Italy in strong form as the reigning English Premier League champions and runners-up in last season's Champions League. Managed by former midfielder Mikel Arteta, who has led the North London club since 2019, Arsenal come into the tie following a 2-1 victory over rivals Chelsea. The English side are looking to start their European journey with three points on the road.
For viewers in Brazil, live television coverage of the match will be broadcast on Space, with online streaming available on HBO Max. TNT Sports will also show the game live on YouTube, while CNN Esportes provides real-time text commentary of the first round match.
Team lineups for Naples clash
Allegri has selected Alex Meret in goal behind a defensive unit of Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Rafa Marin, Amir Rrahmani and Mathias Olivera. Stanislav Lobotka, Billy Gilmour and Belgian playmaker Kevin De Bruyne start in midfield, with Matteo Politano, Alisson Santos and Danish forward Rasmus Hojlund selected in attack.
Arteta names Spanish goalkeeper David Raya behind a defensive line of Ben White, Ezri Konsa, Gabriel Magalhaes and Piero Hincapie. Mikel Merino partners England international Declan Rice in central midfield, while Bukayo Saka, Norwegian captain Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze support Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres.
Venue and competition context
The match takes place at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, the famed arena in southern Italy named after the Argentine legend who inspired Napoli to their first Serie A titles. Both clubs now turn their attention to securing a positive result in round one of the UEFA tournament, with Napoli seeking to turn around their early season form and Arsenal determined to build on their domestic momentum.
