Stadio Diego Armando Maradona is the venue as title-bidding Napoli take on European hopefuls Fiorentina in a high-stakes Serie A encounter.
Napoli’s bid to win their first Serie A title since 1989/90 faces a stern test in the shape of European hopefuls Fiorentina. Sunday’s mouthwatering encounter in Naples could catapult the Partenopei to the top of the league table at least for a few hours.
Luciano Spalletti’s men have bounced back from a frustrating 1-0 defeat to Milan in their top-table six-pointer in early March by winning three successive league matches by an aggregate score of 7-3. Spalletti has already explained how significant it would be for the entire city of Naples to taste their first Scudetto since the glory days of Diego Maradona.
But Napoli will have to prove their title credentials against high-flying Fiorentina. Since falling to a 2-1 loss away to Sassuolo, La Viola have alternated between victories (2) and draws (2) across their last four league outings. A noticeable upturn in form has helped them whittle down the gap on sixth-placed Lazio to only two points.
Match Preview
Napoli
Napoli’s indifferent three-game Serie A form on home turf (W1, D1, L1) suggests Spalletti’s team cannot take anything for granted here. Indeed, they suffered an embarrassing 5-2 defeat when they last welcomed Fiorentina to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium back in January’s Coppa Italia last-16.
However, Napoli have been ruthless against Fiorentina in Serie A, having won their last three league H2Hs while netting 2+ goals in each victory. The Partenopei ran out 6-0 victors in this exact fixture in 2020/21, inflicting the heaviest top-flight defeat on La Viola since 2005/06.
Yet, it is worth noting that four of the five losses Napoli have experienced this season came on home turf. Interestingly, each of those four home reverses has featured a single-goal margin, with three of them yielding the identical 1-0 scoreline.
Fiorentina
Vincenzo Italiano’s side edged out mid-table Empoli 1-0 last time out and could win back-to-back Serie A games for the first time since february. But a run of consecutive league matches on the road without winning (D1, L1) suggests otherwise, as do the visitors’ well-documented defensive frailties.
Fiorentina have only recorded one clean sheet in their 15 Serie A away matches so far this season, while they’ve conceded on each of their last 11 league road trips. Italiano can find some comfort in the fact his men have let in an average of 1.46 goals per game, meaning they know how to contain the damage.
But La Viola have won just once in their last seven Serie A away meetings with Napoli (D1, L5), failing to get on the scoresheet four times in that sequence. Against this backdrop, Fiorentina have struck home in four consecutive league games on the road since suffering a dismal 4-0 defeat at Torino in early January.
Napoli vs Fiorentina Team News
Despite picking up a minor thigh problem in midweek, standout striker Victor Osimhen will be available for Napoli. That’s encouraging, as Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Adam Ounas and backup goal-getter Andrea Petagna are ruled out with injuries.
With Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa suspended due to accumulated bookings, Spalletti will likely draft Fabian Ruiz back into his starting XI to ensure another high-possession game.
As for Fiorentina, Lucas Torreira is sidelined by a one-match ban, while midfielder Giacomo Bonaventura and right-back Alvaro Odriozola are unlikely to feature. Both players are still recovering from injuries.
Napoli Potential Starting XI (4-3-3): David Ospina; Zanoli, Amir Rrahmani, Kalidou Koulibaly, Mario Rui; Stanislav Lobotka, Piotr Zielinski, Fabian Ruiz; Matteo Politano, Victor Osimhen, Lorenzo Insigne.
Fiorentina Potential Starting XI (4-3-3): Pietro Terracciano; Lorenzo Venuti, Igor, Nikola Milenkovic, Cristiano Biraghi; Gaetano Castrovilli, Sofyan Amrabat, Alfred Duncan; Jonathan Ikone, Arthur Cabral, Nicolas Gonzalez.