Napoli will be looking to regain control at the top of the Serie A table with a win over relegation-battling Cagliari when the two sides meet at Sardegna Arena on Monday. After both Milan clubs faltered over the weekend, the Partenopei have a prime opportunity to reclaim their place at the summit.
It is fair to admit that Cagliari have enjoyed a renaissance since the start of the new calendar year, going unbeaten in five of their six Serie A outings in 2022 (W3, D2). But Napoli could prove a formidable challenge for the Sardinians.
Indeed, it is no accident that Luciano Spalletti’s men head into proceedings as hot favourites. Though this is not supposed to be a walk in the park by any stretch of the imagination, Napoli should be able to walk away from Sardinia with all three points.
Here are the three main reasons why.
#1 Lucky Charm Is Back
It took Napoli a few months of patience, but they have finally welcomed Victor Osimhen back to fold. Since the Nigerian’s return to the pitch, the Partenopei have won three of their four Serie A fixtures, barring a 1-1 draw with Inter last time out.
Osimhen has been a talismanic figure for Napoli this season, as they’ve only lost one of their 15 Serie A games with their marquee striker in the matchday squad. It was 11 wins and three draws for Spalletti’s team in the other 14 matches.
What’s more, Osimhen has troubled the scoreboard in both previous Serie A appearances against Cagliari since completing his blockbuster arrival from Lille in summer 2020.
Alongside Bologna, the Sardinians are the only remaining Serie A side against whom the 23-year-old marksman boasts a 100% scoring rate.
#2 Napoli Have History on Their Side
As we already previewed, Napoli have not only gone unbeaten in 22 of their previous 23 Serie A encounters against Cagliari (W16, D6), but they have also won each of their last six league meetings at Sardegna Arena by an aggregate score of 19-1.
Additionally, since being held to a ‘goal-friendly’ 3-3 draw in 2009, the Partenopei have registered an eye-catching eight clean sheets across their last ten Serie A visits to Sardinia, conceding one goal apiece on the remaining two occasions.
Spalletti’s side sailed to a clear-cut 2-0 victory in the reverse fixture back in September, restricting Cagliari to a single shot on target throughout 90 minutes while attempting 19 overall themselves. That encounter was a definition of one-way traffic in its strictest sense, and more of the same could follow up on Monday.
#1 Best Defence vs Toothless Attack
Spalletti has based his team’s domestic success on a water-tight backline, with Napoli conceding a league-low 16 goals this Serie A campaign.
While their record of 0.66 goals conceded on average per away Serie A match stands for the fourth-best in Europe’s top-flight leagues, a run of three clean sheets from their last four top-flight travels speaks volumes.
On the other hand, only three sides have netted fewer goals in Serie A than Cagliari (25) this season. Walter Mazzarri’s men have scored 2+ goals in just 33% of their home league outings this term.
It is also worth noting that each of the Sardinians four Serie A home games to see them score more than once this season came against sides starting this matchday ranked 13th or lower. Furthermore, Cagliari have only found the net once across their four league matches against current top-four teams so far.