Hojlund Can Be Turned Into Complete Striker At Napoli, Stellini Says

Napoli face Parma at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Wednesday with several storylines in play. The Serie A champions aim to close the gap on leaders Inter, strengthen their Champions League push and continue

an impressive home run, while on-loan forward Rasmus Hojlund looks to continue steady development in attack.

Napoli sit third after a 2-2 draw with Inter, a result that maintained contact with the summit. Antonio Conte's side can move within one point of Inter if they beat lowly Lecce in the earlier kick-off, then defeat 14th-placed Parma later on the same evening.

Recent meetings favour Napoli, who are unbeaten in four Serie A games against Parma, winning three and drawing one. Conte's team have also taken four victories from the last five home league clashes with Parma, losing once, and could secure a third straight home win against them in Serie A for the first time.

Napoli's overall home form has been strong across this campaign. They are unbeaten in their last 19 Serie A matches at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, winning 14 and drawing five. That run is currently the longest active unbeaten home sequence among all 20 clubs in the division.

Parma's away record this season shows improvement after a slow start. They have won three of their last four league matches on the road, drawing the other, matching the number of away victories from their previous 43 trips, when they managed three wins, 17 draws and 23 defeats.

There has also been a clear shift in Parma's attacking output away from home. After failing to score in their first four away fixtures this campaign, Parma have found the net in each of their last five away league games, which adds another aspect to the Napoli vs Parma tactical contest.

Data projections highlight Napoli as strong favourites before kick-off. According to Opta, Napoli have a 68.7% chance of winning, with the probability of a draw at 18.4% and Parma given a 12.9% likelihood of leaving Naples with victory, underlining the hosts' statistical edge.

Despite this, Napoli enter the match following consecutive league draws. They have shared the points in their last two Serie A games and have not recorded three straight league draws since February 2025, when they finished level with Roma, Udinese and Lazio in successive fixtures.

Napoli vs Parma focus on Hojlund loan and transfer option

Beyond the immediate result, Napoli's handling of Rasmus Hojlund remains a major theme. The Denmark international joined on loan from Manchester United in the summer, returning to Serie A after leaving Atalanta in 2023, and has adapted smoothly to life back in Italian football.

Hojlund has scored nine goals in 23 appearances in all competitions for Napoli, including a key strike against AC Milan in the Supercoppa Italiana semi-final. If Napoli qualify for the Champions League, they hold an option to make the move permanent for a reported 44m transfer fee, around 38m.

The 22-year-old has benefited from regular minutes since Romelu Lukaku suffered a serious pre-season injury. Napoli assistant Cristian Stellini believes Hojlund has led the attack effectively in Lukaku's absence and wants the forward to progress into a more rounded number nine over the remainder of the campaign.

"When he arrived, we hadstarted the season and had a lot of games to play, so as he isan international, we barely saw him in practicein September and October," Stellinisaid. Despite that, he put in so much effort and humility, he works every day to improve, and we'd love to make him into a complete striker. He has a long way to go, but is already doing very well.

Napoli vs Parma tactical choices, rotation and physical condition

Stellini also discussed Napoli's fitness levels and selection decisions during the draw at San Siro. Conte, who was sent off and is facing a two-game touchline suspension, chose to make only two substitutions, while Inter used all five changes during the intense 2-2 meeting.

Sam Beukema left the pitch for Noa Lang in the 78th minute, while Pasquale Mazzocchi replaced Matteo Politano in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time. The limited rotation reflected Napoli's current squad options and Conte's desire to maintain structure and cohesion throughout that contest.

"We are in good physical shape, and have been for a while now," Stellini added on the reasoning behind that decision. "We haven't had the options to rotate much, and we must have a little more patience with that, but getting back twice against Inter at San Siro is not easy for anyone. I think we deserved the draw, had a very strong start to the second half, were convinced that we could do damage. We're satisfied with the character, determination and the quality that we showed this evening. "

Napoli vs Parma players to watch and goalscoring trends

Scott McTominay stands out as one of Napoli's main threats ahead of the Parma meeting. After a sequence of nine league games without scoring, the Scotland international has produced three goals across his last two Serie A appearances, matching his total from the previous 20 league matches.

McTominay has previously managed a scoring run of three successive Serie A games only once, during April. The midfielder now has another opportunity to hit that mark again and extend a positive streak that has become important in Napoli's attacking play during recent weeks.

Parma forward Mateo Pellegrino offers a contrasting danger in the penalty area. Five of Pellegrino's nine Serie A goals have been headers, including his latest league strike against Lecce. Since arriving at Parma in February 2025, no player has scored more headed league goals than Pellegrino, with five, level with McTominay.

All these factors frame a significant evening at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Napoli aim to defend a long unbeaten home sequence, keep pace with Inter, and further shape Hojlund's development, while Parma travel in improved away form and with aerial threat from Pellegrino, suggesting a competitive Napoli vs Parma encounter for supporters to follow.