Even though the season is just halfway over, Jose Mourinho has already declared Napoli the Serie A champions.
After winning 16 of their first 19 games and losing only once, Napoli are 12 points ahead of Milan, their closest rivals, at the top of the standings.
At Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Sunday, Roma will try to stop Napoli’s momentum, but Mourinho can only predict one outcome in the championship battle.
“I’ll say what I always say: they have already won the Scudetto, and deservedly so,” Mourinho said at Saturday’s pre-match press conference.
“They are an excellent team, with an excellent coach in Luciano Spalletti. They are now 12 points ahead and there are no teams that scare them. The Scudetto is theirs.
“We won’t just step out of the way for them, but they have already won the championship. Congratulations to them.”
Eight of Napoli’s last nine Serie A games against Roma have ended in victories, with their lone loss being in November of last year (a 2-1 loss at Stadio Olimpico).
